Why you should buy your sweetheart beer, not champagne, for Valentine's Day
By: Josh Rubin
On Valentine’s Day, many people will be treating their sweetheart to some champagne.
Not that I’ve got anything against the world’s most famous sparkling wine, but champagne doesn’t have a lock on romance. For setting a romantic scene, beer will do just fine. (You in the back — stop snickering.)
For one thing, beer can be paired with a much wider variety of foods, whether it’s time-honoured aphrodisiacs like oysters, or sinfully rich treats like chocolate mousse.
Another point in beer’s favour? You don’t have to spend $50 a bottle as you would with champagne. (Not that your sweetheart isn’t worth it).
So, if you like the idea of suds on Valentine’s Day — and not just in the bathtub — here are a few choices you can find around town.
Chocoholic’s Delight: There are few things that say decadence quite like rich, dark chocolate. So why not have it in liquid form?
There are a few good chocolaty choices for the beer lover. One of the richest is The Chocolate Manifesto ($11.95 per 750 mL bottle), a “triple chocolate” imperial stout from Barrie’s Flying Monkeys brewery. Cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, and chocolate malt — which lends a slightly nutty character — are all used in this dark, slightly syrupy brew. Given that it’s 10 per cent alcohol and comes in a 750 mL bottle, this one’s meant for sharing. (It would also go nicely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an ultra-decadent float.) READ MORE