How To Pair Candy With Beer

One of the biggest challenges of throwing an adult party where beer and other libations will be served it serving appropriate candy and sweets that won’t totally ruin the taste of the drinks.  This doesn’t seem to be a big issue with liquor because candy and liquor are a natural pair, but have you ever taken a sip of red wine right after eating a piece of chocolate and your smooth pinot noir has suddenly turned to vinegar? Or how about eating some cookies then getting back to your beer to find its all skunky.

With everyone making preparations for the NCAA Football National Championship, NFL Playoffs and the Super Bowl right on our heels, we have tips for setting up a sweet candy / dessert buffet that won’t ruin your kegger.

Tip #1 – Caramel

Caramels are usually a good beer pairing probably because a lot of beers have caramel and vanilla flavors in them.  Your dessert could be as simple as having bowls of Vanilla Caramels out for people to snack on and they won’t be disappointed when the go back to their drinks.  Some other options are Sugar Daddy’s and Werthers Originals.

Tip #2 – Malt Balls

This is really a  no-brainer, especially if you’re having darker, malt flavored beers at your party.  Malt Balls are also a great choice because they come in a lot of different flavors other than chocolate. Hot Cinnamon, Peanut Butter, and Espresso flavored malt balls would also compliment most beers.

Tip #3 – Root Beer and Cola Flavored Candy

Serve up hard Root Beer Barrels and Gummy Cola Bottles and your guests’ palettes will be delighted with the complimenting flavors.  You may be surprised at how well cola and beer go together, but one of my favorite drinks is to actually mix cola with a dark beer (like Amber Bock) half-and-half for a lighter, sweeter beer cocktail.

Photo Credits: Photos are from The Hostess Blog. Click the link to see one of The Hostess Blog’s awesome posts about a beer tasting 30th birthday party!