Receiving a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates and a bottle of beer may seem a bit weird at first thought. The sweet tones of the chocolate appear too much of a contrast with the bitter taste of beer. However, beer and chocolate does have more of an affinity than you would think.

A grain widely used by the brewing industry is called chocolate malt. This so-called specialty grain is barley that has been malted and then roasted until it is dark brown. When used in the beer making process, this malt adds an aroma and flavour very similar to dark chocolate. In fact, London’s long-established brewery takes this a stage further and actually uses chocolate in its recipe for Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. European explorers first encountered chocolate during their exploration of the Americas, where the indigenous people consumed it in liquid form. What the Aztecs called xocoatl or tchocolatl was a bitter, pungent cold drink, perhaps not too far distanced from cold, bitter and pungent beer.

Now, like any other drink and food pairing, you cannot simply say that all beer goes with all chocolate. If you are excited at the prospect of eating a Mars Bar with your bottle of pale-largered Bud, you might be a little disappointed.
Aside from the popular light largers consumed in the UK, there are many other beer or ale styles that pair with chocolate. When a food and drink work together, both need to stand up to each other. Most forms of chocolate are rich, flavourful and have a palate-coating consistency. This intense richness means that beers need to be big and bountiful with an equivalent malty flavour and creamy texture.
For this reason, you need to avoid pale, watery largers and opt for darker, richer and denser beers. Also avoid hoppy beers in favour of malt-accented lagers like Marzenbier (March beer or Oktoberfest beer). Dark roasted ales are a good choice for bittersweet or fruity chocolate, as are abbey beers and Guinness.

For those not with a particular penchant for beer, try a fruit-infused beer with raspberry or cherry for an excellent pairing that is easy on unaccustomed beer palates.