Romantic Beer Tasting

Whether you will be going on a date on Valentine's this year or making the most of the day with friends/family, a beer tasting is the perfect way to celebrate!

To prove it, we surprised some Beerwulf colleagues with some beer and food combinations, and we must say, they were excellently paired. Below are just four fail-safe pairings that will delight your taste buds and ensure a magical evening. 

• Tripel with strawberries
• Stout with oysters
• Saison with camembert
• Quadrupel with dark chocolate

Read on for more tasting notes and a number of alternative suggestions - we only touched the surface in our tasting!

Pairing beer and oysters

For centuries, oysters have been considered an aphrodisiac so are great to pop out on Valentine's. 

An Irish stout with oysters is one of the most classic beer pairings.

Oedipus Panty is a favourite of ours and with 6% ABV, it’s not as overwhelming as an Imperial Stout can be. The combination of the saltiness from the oysters contrasts wonderfully with the roasted malt within any stout.

For a slightly more acquired but really exciting combo, try pairing oysters with a geuze. We tasted French Oysters with Boon Geuze Mariage Parfait, delicious! This has the same effect as adding a squeeze of lemon but is even better as this is a softer and more subtle taste, lemon can be a bit acidic. The sour and salty will balance each other in a good way, so you’ll taste all of the beautiful flavours even more.

Pairing beer and cheese

We paired a creamy cheese with Saison Dupont to create a match made in heaven. If you love a stronger cheese, sample any Quadrupel (we recommend a freshly poured Zundert 10) with it for a great kick of flavour. If beer and cheese is your thing, then read either Beer and Cheese or Beer and Goat's Cheese for more.

Pairing beer and strawberries

Strawberries are quintessentially romantic, but pairing this fruit may seem illogical. However, fruit beer works very well as both have acidic yet sweet notes which bring out delightful flavours. Lindemans Kriek or Brasserie De Sutter La Folle des Bois are what we tried, but if you want to pour yourself a treat, we recommend Affligem Tripel SUB keg. 

Pairing chocolate and beer

Leaving the best for last, chocolate is of course not to be forgotten. The general rule with food pairings is that you should look for a beer that matches the sweetness of your grub. So, for a slightly sweeter beer such as the already mentioned, La Trappe Quadrupel, a sweet Quadrupel with notes of dried fruit and toffee, it will pair excellently with sweeter chocolate.

Tasting beer together in an intimate atmosphere with shared romantic snacks, the conclusion is, beer is 100% romantic.