Here are some sweet and timely combos with Colorado craft libations
Story and photos by David Young
Spooky season is in full swing and that means there will be candy inevitably lying around the house. Whether it is your kid's stash or candy you intend to pass out, October is the month when the sweets show up.
This year, rather than just eating that candy, try pairing it with a cold Colorado craft beer or glass of whiskey.
We’ve taken on the difficult research process of seeing which candies pair the best with which local brews and spirits. We also chatted with some of the experts at these breweries and distilleries to see which pairings they recommend for Halloween.
So, grab a six-pack and a handful of sweets, put on your favorite scary movie, and see which pairing works with your palate. Or better yet, let us know what wild candy-beer pairings you prefer.
Breckenridge Brewery’s Oktoberfest Marzen Lager and Butterfingers
This pairing is about as fall-forward as you can get. The Breckenridge Oktoberfest beer is a staple this time of year in Colorado, and adding the buttery crunch of a Butterfinger to this brew is a great pairing. At 6% ABV, this German amber lager has the malty and yeasty bread notes that you associate with Oktoberfest. The crispy peanut butter and a hint of chocolate in the Butterfinger go nicely with this Breckenridge Brewery seasonal beer.
Left Hand Brewing Co.’s Imperial Peanut Butter Milk Stout Nitro and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
For the peanut butter lovers out there, this is your jam. Pairing a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup with Left Hand’s creamy Peanut Butter Milk Stout Nitro is just a no-brainer. You can’t ask for much more peanut butter and chocolate than this for Halloween. The thick, rich, creamy nitro beer is almost a peanut butter cup in a glass as the notes of peanut butter and chocolate dominate the taste. Adding a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup to the mix just enhances the already decadent flavors of this beer. Too much peanut flavor? Try regular Hershey’s milk chocolate.
Odell Brewing Co.’s Friek sour and Skittles
The Odell brew Friek is a unique blend of framboise raspberry sour ale and a traditional lambic kriek cherry sour ale, which has been aged in oak barrels. To top it off, Odell adds fresh raspberries before the final blend to help balance out the tartness of the cherry flavors. The fruitiness of this brew is a natural pairing with the sweet Skittles rainbow of flavors. We especially find the lemon Skittle goes great with this sour beer.
Avery Brewing’s White Rascal Belgian-Style White Ale and 3 Musketeers
The Boulder-based brewery’s White Rascal is a staple of the Colorado beer scene. The unfiltered spiced coriander and Curaçao orange peel make for a truly refreshing fall beer. While most candy will pair well with this authentic Belgian-style white ale, we especially like saving the 3 Musketeers candy bars for this glass. The rich chocolate and fluffy nougat taste great against the subtle spices in the White Rascal. The lighter zesty brew and lighter milk chocolate make for a perfect fall treat.
Breckenridge Distillery’s Rum Cask Finish and Twix
There is something about this pairing that seems to enhance the taste of both the Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish whiskey and the Twix treat. The whiskey is aged in Colorado rum casks, adding a nice mix of caramel, cinnamon, and dark chocolate notes to the whiskey. Pairing it with chocolate and caramel in the Twix really enhances these flavors and opens some fruity, spicy floral notes as well. It’s definitely worth pairing these two this Halloween season.
Stranahan’s Blue Peak Single Malt Whiskey and Caramel
Colorado’s own Stranahan’s Blue Peak Single Malt Whiskey pairs great with caramels. Stranahan’s specifically notes the Werther’s Original as a great pairing considering the classic buttery caramel flavor of Werther's is a perfect match for Blue Peak's honey and baked apple notes. In lieu of that, any caramel candy from the kid’s basket will work great.