Posted October 31, 2017
Category: Food, General
It's Halloween, and let's face it, you're about to end up with some candy. Maybe through your own volition, maybe due to a sharp decline in trick or treaters this year (how are there still THREE bags left?), or maybe you just love hitting those clearance deals on November 1st. While candy certainly can be appreciated all on its own, adults have the benefit of being able to utilize the enhancing qualities of Boulevard beer. It might sound strange, but beer and candy can complement each other perfectly when paired the right way, and we've done all the expert analysis to recommend 6 stellar pairings to try with your All Hallows' Eve spoils.
Let's be real. Candy corn is the cilantro of the candy world. It's the topic of intense arguments, the cause of rifts in relationships, and a perennial love-it-or-hate-it Halloween staple. Whether you sit in the former or latter camp, we suggest you at least give it a try paired with our American Kolsch. The subtle spice and floral characteristics of the hops in American Kolsch temper the cloying sugar of the candy corn, leading it into a sweet (but not overly sweet) honey-like bite thanks to the beer serving as a balance.
Aesthetically speaking, a bottle of The Sixth Glass is the perfect Halloween beer on its own, with its orange hue and artistic nods to demonic forces (an ode to Hans Christian Andersen). But label aside, the beer is also a fantastic candy accompaniment, particularly to the chocolate/caramel/cookie bar Twix. The big, malty, caramel flavors in our Quadrupel Ale are almost like the insides of a Twix, liquified. Join the two together, and you've got yourself a silky, sticky sweet combination of flavors that will feel like a sin (that you're willing to commit many times over).
For many years, Unfiltered Wheat Beer with a lemon wedge has been the de facto bar order for many dedicated Wheat drinkers. The bready, spritzy beer has a natural companion in citrus, and that complementary nature transfers well from fruit to its candy counterpart, Lemonheads. Savor the candy for a few moments, then take a sip of the beer before crunching down into the tart core. The sweetness of the beer and sourness of the Lemonheads meld together, creating the same fusion of flavors that so many have come to expect, with a unique textural twist.
Last year we loved the pairing of Cranberry Orange Radler and Hot Tamales because the melding of sweet and spicy was reminiscent of a warm, gooey orange cinnamon roll. Cranberry Orange Radler may not be around this fall, but luckily its 2018 replacement is an equally solid pairing for these candies. You probably don't need us to explain that apple and cinnamon is a classic duo, and a can of Tart Apple Radler + a handful of Hot Tamales does the combination full justice.
Our newest year-round Smokestack Series beer is a rich, flavorful treat on its own. And without a doubt, it makes for a versatile beer for pairing with almost anything chocolate. But something about the dark chocolate-wrapped coconut in a Mounds bar provides an extra dimension to Whiskey Barrel Stout that just makes perfect sense. The vanilla and espresso flavors imparted by the whiskey barrels collide with the coconut while chocolatey malt meets its candy counterpart, all to join forces and create a decadent truffle of a duo.
Sometimes simplicity is key when it comes to pairing beer and food, and simplicity is what makes Bully! Porter and 3 Musketeers work so well. The sweet milk chocolate and fluffy chocolate nougat in the candy bar are a logical match for the roasted, chocolate and coffee-forward flavors imparted by the dark malts of our Robust Porter. Sweet. Chocolate. Coffee. Good. MORE.
