The Mrs. and I will be hanging out with our friend and local chocolate artist Christopher Curtin Master Chocolatier for Éclat Chocolate this evening. We are doing a Beer and Chocolate Pairing. That’s my kind of Friday night for sure. Whitney will be bringing some of Victory Brewing Companies fine malt beverages, and I’ll have few of my own in tow. I can’t wait. If you know me, you know I’ve got a serious sweet tooth. and to me Chocolate, Theobroma cacao, the Food of the Gods, is one of my favorite flavors. People say that red wine and chocolate make for great pairings. I say, “Try it”  You might get a match in 10% of the situations. Now grab some Russian Imperial Stout and try THAT with chocolate. It won’t even be close. The beer and chocolate pairing is incredible.

Wine-os still fight me on this one. Here’s my thought. Just because we’ve been told for years that chocolate and red wine go together doesn’t make it so (flat earth, anyone?) Chocolate was a drink long before it took its current form. The cooked, roasty, toffee, and vanilla flavors prevalent in many beers dovetail exquisitely with the same flavors in the chocolate because they are prepared in the same way! Beer also has a secret weapon: Carbonation! The bubbles in beer refresh and reset the palette, washing away heavy tongue coating fat and revealing Cacao’s deep dark flavors.

I digress….The Chocolate at Eclat is world-class. Get thee on over for some soon. Note: tonight’s tasting is sold out….but fret not. We will be doing another soon! In the mean time, grab a little chocolate from Eclat and a bottle of Russian from Iron Hill and have your own tasting. I’ll come!