Valentine's Day Beer and Chocolate

This Valentine’s Day, many are searching for that special bottle of red or white with which to wash down countless chocolate-covered strawberries, boxes of chocolates, and those little candy hearts adorned with too-cute sayings. Yes, wine may seem like the natural choice, but why not choose a beer you really love on this, the most amorous day of the year?

For most people, beer probably isn’t as romantic a beverage as wine. And yet a good beer can pair as well or even better with the types of decadent treats typically consumed on Valentine’s Day, adding to the experience in a way that many wines cannot.

Because of their complementary flavors, “chocolate beers” pair well with chocolate desserts without overpowering them. Stouts and porters are the most popular chocolate beers, and with good reason — often the malt used in these beers is enough to provide a beer with chocolate flavors (though many beers, including some of the ones below, do indeed contain additional chocolate).

If you’ve yet to try a chocolate beer, then consider popping open one or more of these bottles this Valentine’s Day. Serve them alongside a nice chocolate dessert, or drink them as a dessert in their own right.

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout:  This beer seems as much milkshake as milk stout (it is delightful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream floating atop it). There is very little hop bitterness in this beer — just a very smooth milk chocolate taste. If you can find it, opt for the nitro-can of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, which contributes greatly to the beer’s creamy mouthfeel.

Rogue Chocolate Stout: The Rogue’s Chocolate Stout has a lighter mouthfeel than the Young’s, but contends with the Double Chocolate Stout in regards to chocolate flavor. The chocolate notes in the Rogue, however, are more of the bitter variety. There are some notes of coffee in this Chocolate Stout, but make no mistake, this beer is all about the chocolate.

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout: With an ABV of more than 10 percent, the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout makes the perfect night cap. This Russian imperial stout is more smooth and easily imbibed than many in the style, though the booze is fairly noticeable if these beers aren’t aged. At $7.99 a four-pack (prices vary), however, it’s worth drinking two on this Valentine’s Day and setting the other two aside for next year — if you have such self-control.

Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout: The name “Chocolate Indulgence Stout” is a bit of a misnomer here, in more than one way. First, the chocolate taste is hardly an indulgence. It is quite subtle, at least compared to the chocolate beers above. Secondly, the beer is not a stout at all, but a Belgian dark ale.

The subtle chocolate notes of this beer give way to other tastes associated with Belgian beers, such as dark fruits and a distinct breadiness from the yeast. This beer has far less of a chocolate flavor than the other beers in this list, but it may be all the more complex for it. The Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout would complement many chocolates or chocolate desserts without overpowering them.

*Please note that although Valentine’s Day has come and gone, you don’t need a special day to celebrate such wonderful beer with your sweetheart. The truth of the matter is I wasn’t able to get this, the blog’s first post, up before the big day. Of course, the beers above are still very much worth seeking out, and still worth pairing with chocolates and enjoyed with your significant other.