It’s that time of year were big candy companies want you to spend tons of money on that special someone with a box of chocolates and other sweet treats. But for some of ya’ll, you’ll probably be scrolling through social media seen all the valentine post while you sit on the couch scarfing down chocolates and making comments like; I bet they don’t even love each other or I rather be single then spending all that money over that loser. If so, stop the bullshit and bucker up. Instead of being all sad go cop some beers and pair those damn chocolates.

With this being said have you ever wondered what beers to pair with those Reeses Pieces heart shapes or if you enjoy the brand Sees candies? While look no further whether milk chocolate or dark we have you covered. Here 5 beer styles to pair those chocolates with so you don’t feel so bummed this Valentine’s Day.

Dark Chocolate and Milk Stouts

Dark chocolate is known for its rich and bitterness due to more cocoa being used unlike milk chocolate. With taste notes like burnt, nutty, smoky, sour. For us pairing it with a milk stout is perfect. Milk stouts tend to be on the sweeter side due to the lactose sugar being used that gives it its residual sugars. The sweetness of the beer will balance out the sourness of the dark chocolate but the nuttiness and bitterness will help bring out more of the stout flavors making a perfect balance of sweet bitter and smoky. (Recommend Beer: Young’s Double Chocolate Stout).

Milk Chocolate and Pastry Sours

Milk chocolate is chocolate that contains milk, sugar and cocoa but not as much as dark chocolate making it less hard and more chewier. The richness of sweetness just melts in you mouth and is probably the most consumed of the chelate styles. So why a pastry stout? While that easy, pastry stouts tend to be on the sweeter side using lactose and other adjuncts to create and almost dessert beer. The lactose in the beer will help create an even rich chocolate and the sweet rich chocolate will help give extra layers to your beer especially if it is using darker fruits. (Recommended Beer: Any lactose base sour from Ear Brewing).

White Chocolate and Blonde Stout

Unlike dark and milk chocolate white chocolate to many isn’t even considered chocolate. Made with cocoa butter, milk solids and sugar its ivory in color because it doesn’t use cocoa solids. But none-the-less to us it is chocolate and it has a sweet, silky and creaminess to it. A perfect pairing for a blonde stout. But is a blonde stout really a stout? To us they’re fuller blonde ales with notes similar to stouts and to be honest they taste pretty damn good. The creamy sweetness of white chocolate can help bring out the coffee notes and may even balance out any overly bitter notes almost creating a while rounded cream ale in a while. (Recommended Beer: Pelican Dark Hearted Blonde Stout).

Coffee Inspired Chocolates and Russian Imperial Stouts

Coffee inspired chocolates are exactly what they say they are and man do we love us chocolate with mocha creme flavor inside topped with chocolate sprinkles. But you know what we also love a big ass Imperial Stout. Imperial stouts know for their high abv, dark bitter, roast and hints of darker fruits will have you nice and cozy but they do lack a lot of chocolate notes and that’s were coffee inspired chocolates come into play. The sweet richness from the chocolate and filling will help add more sweet depth which a Imeprial stout doesn’t necessarily need but some tend to lack some sweetness and adding more depth to the overly bitter roast will help cleanse the plate a bit all while bringing some to the dark fruit out. (Recommended Beer: Big Sky Ivan The Terrible).

Fruited Chocolate and Typical Sour

Fruited chocolates can be hit or miss for me. Either you get a some amazing other chocolate shell with a creamy fruited blend or one with fruited liquid in the center that is thick and sticky. Majority of the times these chocolates are rich, tart, and cloying which is perfect for a sour beer especially if your sour is over acidic or lacking acidity. If your sour lacks acidity the fruitiness of the chocolate will help bring out some that on the palate but if it’s over acidic then the richness and cloyingness of the chocolate should dial the beer down and and also balance out the sweetness of the chocolate. (Recommended Beer: Dogfish Sea Quench Ale).