Beer and chocolate – a winning combination this Easter

A GOOD beer can be a perfect accompaniment to your chocolate Easter eggs this weekend, according to Little Valley Brewery.

Wim dan Spek, a food scientist and master brewer at Little Valley Brewery put together his top tips for beer and chocolate pairings.

Vanilla Porter with milk chocolate
Wim said: “Compliment the sweet and creamy flavour of milk chocolate with a rich porter. Our Vanilla Porter with subtle vanilla notes works perfectly for this, as it isn’t overly sweet and balances the flavours perfectly.”

Python IPA with dark chocolate
“If you’re more into your dark chocolate, go for a powerful IPA to compliment its bitter elements. With a strong malty taste and perfect balance of hops and bitterness, our Python IPA is a great match for chocolate that’s high in cocoa.”

Try a stout for versatility
Wim said: “The rich and creamy flavour of a stout works well with all types of chocolate, so it’s perfect if you’re indulging this weekend! Our Stoodley Stout, which contains chocolate malt, has hints of orange and citrus so it’s the perfect pairing if you like a bit of everything.”

“We wanted to show how the grown ups can indulge this weekend as well. Beer is a hugely versatile drink that can be paired with most types of food, which is something we always try and encourage. The key to finding the perfect match is looking at the tasting notes for the beer and picking out similarities in the flavour of the chocolate.”