Believe it or not, chocolate and beer pairing is one of the best beer and food pairings out there. Done right, it’s rich, indulgent and surprisingly sophisticated. Done wrong? It can be overwhelmingly sweet or bitter. That’s why our in-house sommelier has created this beer with chocolate guide to help you unlock some of the best beers with chocolate, and maybe start seeing every bar of chocolate as a new tasting opportunity. Beer is delicious. Chocolate is delicious. But together? That’s where things get interesting. Why beer and chocolate work so well Roasted malts can give all sorts of flavours in beer, from lightly caramelised flavours to very roasted espresso tones. And of course, chocolate! Stout and porter almost always have a touch of dark chocolate. Belgian Dubbel and Quadrupels are also examples of beers where you can often taste chocolate. All these beers are worth trying with dark chocolate: the chocolate flavours in the beer form a nice bridge with the actual chocolate. Key rules for chocolate and beer pairing Before diving into specific styles, there are two important principles in any beer with chocolate guide: Match intensity Light chocolate = lighter beerDark, rich chocolate = fuller-bodied beer Mind the sweetness The beer should be at least as sweet as the chocolate. If the chocolate is sweeter than the beer, it will overpower it and flatten the beer’s flavour. This is why dark chocolate (with a higher cocoa percentage and less sugar) often works better than very sweet milk chocolate. Beer and dark chocolate This is the classic chocolate and beer pairing. And for very good reason. Dry stout + high cocoa chocolate (70%+)The roasted bitterness in both creates balance and depth. Oatmeal stout + mid-percentage dark chocolateThe added sweetness and creamy texture complement smoother chocolate beautifully. Milk stout + dark chocolate with caramel notesSoft, rounded and indulgent. Cherry beer (Kriek) + dark chocolateThink black forest gateau, fruit, tartness and cocoa in harmony. Porters and export stouts also shine here, especially those with coffee-forward profiles. The roasted bitterness of both beer and chocolate meeting head-to-head can be absolutely irresistible. Beer and milk chocolate Milk chocolate is always sweeter than dark chocolate, so it can be difficult to combine with most beers. Very sweet beers can handle that and in turn make a beautiful combination. Milk chocolate with coffee flavours can also be a good option. The coffee tempers the sweetness and if you choose a stout for example, you can taste the tones of coffee and chocolate in both beer and chocolate. Beer and white chocolate As you probably already know, white chocolate is the sweetest chocolate. A sweet fruit beer with red fruits and berries can work well. White beer with white chocolate sounds better than it is, unless you give the chocolate an extra dimension. Lemon is a good example; the fresh tart flavour will create a nice hook and won't be too sweet. White chocolate with a stout can also turn out surprisingly well. If you choose an intense, heavy ABV beer, preferably with enough coffee notes, it will create cappuccino flavours with a hint of caramel! Kees Export Porter is great with white chocolate. Founders Imperial Stout and Five Points Grand Stout are also options worth trying. Chocolate with extras! Nuts, lemon zest, caramel, fruit, ginger, anything can be added to chocolate. That also gives other options for the beer you taste with it. A Belgian Dubbel or Brown Ale with nutty chocolate, or wheat beer with chocolate containing lemon, or an IPA with (dark) caramel-sea salt chocolate. Just make sure that neither the chocolate or beer are too bitter. The final rule: experiment There is no single “correct” answer in a beer with chocolate guide. Your palate matters most. Start with dark chocolate and stout: the gateway pairing. From there, experiment with sweetness levels, fruit additions and roast intensity. Once you discover the right combination, you’ll understand why this is one of the best beers with chocolate experiences out there.