Beer. Bourbon. Chocolate. What do these things have in common? To be short, we think that they pair perfectly together! So, if you’re looking for a less traditional way to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, we urge you to head over to our North Andover store this Saturday with your date or group of friends.

Why? Wine ConneXtion is teaming up with American’s oldest candy company, Ye Olde Pepper Companie to help make your Valentine’s Day extra sweet. We will be pairing different kinds of craft beers and fine bourbons to go with Ye Olde Pepper’s fine chocolates. It’s the best of the best: chocolate, craft beer and bourbon!

Beer + Ye Olde Pepper’s Chocolates

To start off, beer and chocolate are a great combination. Although there is no “correct” way to pair the two, we find that stout beers tend to be the easiest to pair because of the sweeter notes – like coffee and in their flavors. This Saturday, we’ll be pairing Ye Olde Pepper’s fine chocolates with a few different stouts. They even went so far as to create a specially made chocolate pizza for this event. If you think regular ole’ pizza and beer pairs well, you’ve got to try this amazing combination out.

Here are some descriptions of the beers we’ll be pairing with Ye Olde Pepper’s chocolates:

Whoopie Pie Stout by SoMe Brewing. Milk stout aged on cocoa nibs and vanilla beans. Lactose (milk sugar) is added to this beer to gain the sweet creamy mouthfeel.

Raspberry Whoopie Pie Stout by SoMe Brewing. Milk stout aged on cocoa nibs and vanilla beans. Lactose (milk sugar) and raspberry are added to this beer to gain the sweet creamy mouthfeel.

Norweald Stout by Banded Brewing. Inspired by Banded Brewing’s playground, the North Woods of Maine. Covers the spread of dark malt flavors perfectly: dark chocolate, toffee, cream and caramel.

Bourbon + Ye Olde Pepper’s Chocolates

Next, we should talk about bourbon and chocolate as a pairing. The two have a lot of similarities and, done correctly, the pairing will enrich the flavors of both the bourbon and the chocolate. We find that you can’t go wrong when pairing bourbon with a darker chocolate, but milk chocolate also pairs well with a lighter bourbon. This Saturday, we’ll be featuring a variety of bourbons from Berkshire Mountain Distillers.

Here are some descriptions of the bourbons we’ll be pairing with Ye Olde Pepper’s chocolates:

Berkshire Bourbon. Smooth and balanced with bright notes of spicy rye, vanilla and mature fruit. Lingering finish of caramel and toasted nut.

Berkshire Bourbon Whiskey Smoke and Peat. The first impression is one of spice, vanilla, chocolate and oak. These wonderful classic bourbon notes then fade leaving one with a lovely, lingering and layered taste of smoke, peat and a tad of iodine on the palate.

Berkshire Corn Whiskey. Full-bodied with earthy overtones of grass and cherry fruitwood. Very complex with lingering notes of smoke and fig on the finish.

Berkshire Two Lanterns Whiskey. Toasted malt and caramel on the nose, with a floral quality reminiscent of green grape and lychee nut, probably a vestigial reminder of the perfectly blended hops used in making this beer. This is a very clean and light whiskey.

Wine + Ye Olde Pepper’s Chocolates

Finally, we wouldn’t be Wine ConneXtion if we didn’t throw in a couple of wines to taste with chocolate!

Roederer Estate Brut Sparking N/V (California). This crisp, fruity and citrus-accented wine has plenty of green apple and lemon flavors, brisk bubbles and a clean, tangy finish. A flavor of fresh-baked bread and a softer texture develop with time in the glass.

Larrivet Haut-Brion Bordeaux Rose 2018 (France). A clear and fresh nose, charming and appealing of perfectly slightly tangy little red berries. A subtle cocktail of aromas sustained with intense notes of raspberry, currant and wild strawberry.

Trentadue Chocolate Amore N/V (California). This delightful dessert wine is made from Merlot port, with an infusion of chocolate essence. A favorite for that chocolate lovers. Desert in a bottle.

Show your Valentine just how sweet you really are by stopping by our North Andover location for this fantastic tasting event, ‘Beer, Bourbon & Chocolate: The Valentine’s Day Edition.’ We look forward to seeing you there!