Halloween Candy and GLBC Beer Pairing Guide
Trick or treat! Give me something good to eat… and drink! Candy and beer are delightful enough on their own, but pair them together just right and we’ve got a frightfully delicious combination on our hands. GLBC’s resident Advanced Cicerone Michael Williams has some GLBC beer and candy pairings that will make you scream with delight.
Cran Orange Wheat with Snickers
When pairing beer and food, I love creating the impression of a different food through the interaction of each’s flavors. Try matching the vibrant autumnal fruit flavors of Cran Orange Wheat with a Snickers bar’s rich chocolate, caramel, and peanut blend. The result? A classic trail mix combination perfect for refortifying yourself after a long night of trick or treating.
Vibacious Double IPA with Skittles
One of the easiest ways to pair food and beer is finding resonant flavors in each. Vibacious Double IPA offers an array of bright, bold tropical and stone fruit aromas. That’s a perfect vibe for the varied fruit flavors in a bag of Skittles. And as an added bonus? The colors look pretty great together too.
Nosferatu Double Red IPA with Dark Chocolate Bars
The most important rule of pairing: match intensities. Put smoked ribs with a pilsner and you won’t be tasting much beer. We need something big to match the rich, hop-forward fangs of Nosferatu Double Red IPA. Any decadent dark chocolate bar will do, but we went with the classic: Hershey’s.
Edmund Fitzgerald Porter with Whoppers
Whoppers are a bite-sized, snackable delight that remind me of going to the movies. Edmund Fitzgerald Porter's milk chocolate and dark coffee notes marry perfectly with the sweetness of the malted milk, while the beer’s sharp roast barley cuts the candy’s richness and keeps the palate fresh. Plus, their texture adds a bit of crunch to the smooth-sipping experience of drinking an Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.
Juicy Vibacious Double IPA with Gushers
When we think of "juicy", it's impossible not to think of Gushers. The sweet, fruity flavor of Gushers makes them the perfect complement to the bold, cirtus-y tang of Juicy Vibacious Double IPA. Enjoy the good vibes and uniquely juicy mouthfeel of this delicious combo!
73 Kolsch with Rolos
Nothing says gameday like a crisp beer and big bowl of pretzels to snack on as you watch your favorite team. Too easy! Another well-loved combo is Rolos and pretzels, which is why we're pairing these caramel and chocolate-y delights with 73 Kolsch. Flick on some Halloween football and crack open this combo. See what we did there?
Midwest IPA with Pearson’s Salted Nut Roll
The ultimate food and beer pairings don’t just taste great, they transport you to a certain memory or feeling, too. You know, Christmas Ale + gingerbread cookies = grandma’s house. So I've gotta pair Midwest IPA with the quintessential Salted Nut Roll. Do the flavors work? Sure. But it doesn’t get much more Midwest Nice than the Salted Nut Roll. (If you know, you know.) If you can't get your hands on the real deal, a PayDay bar is a nice substitute.
Speaking of Midwest Nice, grab a Gimme Five! Variety Pack or Hop Madness IPA Variety Pack to enjoy Midwest IPA and other GLBC beers with your crew while passing out candy. That sounds like a perfect pairing to me! Use our Beer Finder to locate all our beers at a retailer near you.
Words by Michael Williams & Lily Switka
Photos by Lily Switka & Haven Hodges
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