Halloween candy and craft beverages have more in common than you might think. To find out just how well they get along, we brought a trick-or-treat bag to six Barrel District businesses and asked each team to reach in, pull out a piece of candy at random, and pair it with something from their own menu.
No planning, no swapping for a better candy. Just a quick look at what they drew and a pairing chosen on the spot. Here's what each maker came up with and why it works.
Movement Brewing: Hershey's + Fruitonic Spiced Apple Cider Seltzer
Movement's team drew a classic Hershey's bar and reached for their Fruitonic Spiced Apple Cider Seltzer. The traditional chocolate gets a fall twist from the seltzer's spiced apple flavor, and a caramel cinnamon sugar rim on the glass ties the two together.
Mad Fate Beer Co.: 3 Musketeers + Autumn Wind Brown Ale
The Mad Fate team pulled a 3 Musketeers and matched it with their Autumn Wind Brown Ale. The beer's sweet, malty character lines up with the chocolate and fluffy nougat, making it an easy one to cheers with a 3 Musketeers.
Fort Rock Brewing: Skittles + Patagonia Pale Ale
Fort Rock's draw was a bag of Skittles, and their pick was Patagonia Pale Ale. It turns out the match was hiding in the aroma: smell the pale ale, and you'll pick up Skittles right away.
Burning Barrel Brewing: Almond Joy + Nutty Professor Nutty Brown Ale
Sometimes the candy bag does the work for you. Burning Barrel pulled an Almond Joy and went straight to Nutty Professor Nutty Brown Ale. The almond, coconut and chocolate all find a match in this dark brown ale, and with wet fall weather rolling in, it's a cozy combination for the season.
Strad Meadery: Starburst + Yuzu Mead
Strad drew a lemon Starburst and paired it with their Yuzu Mead. Yuzu is a citrus fruit too, so its bright, tart flavor lines up naturally with the lemon, and the mead's honey base rounds out the candy's sweetness.
LogOff Brewing: Twix + Hazy Lazy Days Hazy IPA
LogOff's team pulled a Twix and paired it with Hazy Lazy Days Hazy IPA. A hazy IPA isn't the usual go-to for chocolate, and the team admitted it's an unexpected pick. But the beer's bright citrus plays against the caramel, and its creamy body holds its own next to the chocolate and cookie.
Try Them for Yourself!
Grab a few pieces from your Halloween stash and head to the Barrel District to test these pairings at the source. Or bring your own favorite candy and ask the team behind the bar what they'd pour with it.
Watch the pairings come together in our Halloween Reel on Instagram [here].
Wishing you a happy (and delicious!) Halloween!