With Valentine's Day on the horizon, this is the time of year that better halves everywhere rack their brains for the perfect gifts. However, Valentine's Day is often that holiday where the gifts consist of stuffed animals that double as dust collectors and huge boxes of chocolate that end up half-eaten and eventually discarded.
Know what won't end up in the trash? Beer. This year, skip the mystery bonbons and get your significant other something worth the cash: beers reminiscent of your favorite holiday candies and desserts that are sure to spark the requisite evening workout a little early. Pair with your favorite salty snack or eat a light dinner and save these brews for dessert.
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Brooklyn Brewery - Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
@brooklynbrewery | 10% ABV
Picking through a big box of chocolates - biting each one in half while trying to figure out which ones are suitable for consumption - is time consuming and a little gross. You can't share them once they're all mangled, and it's a waste of rich, delicious chocolate! Brooklyn Brewery's Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout is an imperial stout combining specially-roasted malts for a rich dark chocolate flavor. Try their imperial stout float - one glass, two straws - for a 1950s-esque romantic night.
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Southern Tier Brewing Company - Creme Brulee Imperial Milk Stout
@stbcbeer | 9.6% ABV
How do you find something sweet for the person who isn't into candy sweethearts? Creme brulee can be an intimidating dessert to make, but you can skip the kitchen labor and get credit for removing the cap in a timely fashion. Southern Tier's liquid take on this French classic combines 2-row pale and dark caramel malts, vanilla bean and lactose sugar to create a creamy, custardy beer that's sweet enough to drink alone as dessert. And with a sweet, full-bodied taste and 9.6% ABV, you won't really need more than one.
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Bandwagon Brew Pub - Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout
@bandwagonbeer | 6.8% ABV
If your date hates artisanal, gourmet chocolates, you usually can't go wrong with a regular old bag of commercial peanut butter cups. Even ET likes this classic combination! Bandwagon Brew Pub has managed to combine these favorite tastes in a beer with a peanut buttery aroma and creamy peanut butter and chocolate taste. It'll go well with a shortbread cookie and a movie with your favorite date.
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Brasserie d'Ecaussinnes - Cookie Beer
8% ABV
Traditional cookie lovers rejoice! If your date prefers a nice, crumbly cookie over a giant chocolate heart, this Belgian ale will satisfy any sweet tooth. Reminiscent of traditional Dutch holiday cookie speculaas, this ale has a gingery aftertaste that will pair nicely with a heaping bowl of vanilla ice cream.
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Gilgamesh Brewing Company - Chocolate Mint Stout
5.5% ABV
Mint's multitasking capabilities are endless: for centuries, the herb has been instrumental in calming moods, reducing inflammation, and combating bad odors, among other things. When combined with chocolate, it can be an emotional overload of deliciousness. Gilgamesh's chocolate mint stout's in-your-face minty aroma, combined with the light calming effects of alcohol, will quell the mood of any stressed-out V-Day skeptic.
What's your favorite candy beer?
