Wine has become synonymous with Valentine’s Day, but it’s time for that to change. With all the chocolate candies and desserts flying around, stouts and porters make a much better pairing for the day. While, it would have been easy to make this a love letter to dark, chocolaty beers, this list has a little something for everyone. Including a bonus beer at the end for anyone who doesn‘t have a valentine this year.

Raspberry Sour Crush | 10 Barrel Brewing Co.

Just as Prince dedicated a song to a woman wearing a raspberry beret, someone could easily do the same with 10 Barrel Brewing’s Raspberry Crush. The smell of raspberries explodes out of the can and the flavor matches the aroma with the additions of tart. Light and refreshing, this beer would pair well with fresh berries and a full-flavored cheese like bleu cheese or gorgonzola.

Crushed Velvet | Fonta Flora Brewery

If your valentine is skeptical about beer but enjoys wine, then you should give this a try. Southerners will be familiar with the large, tough-skinned muscadine grapes that grow in the Southeast. The smell and taste are unmistakable if you’re familiar with eating this delicious fruit. This beer does a great job of honoring the flavor of muscadines while also bringing in the fruity, floral notes of rosé. And I promise it’s incredibly balanced—not sweet or dry. A perfect gateway beer for your wine-loving valentine.

Bleeding Heart | Second Self

Second Self transforms the Amber Ale into a red velvet cake by adding cocoa and vanilla to the already toasted caramel notes present in this style. Like the dessert, cocoa doesn’t take a front seat but instead gives the beer its color and bitterness. You’ll notice notes of vanilla, floral hops, and malt with slight chocolate bitterness. Pour this beautifully colored beer into a glass and enjoy with a juicy rib-eye steak or barbeque chicken.

Barrel-Aged Pinot Noir Cadence | Reformation

Reformation takes their already delicious Cadence, a Belgian-Style Ale with flavors of caramel, fig, and Belgian candi sugar and ages it in pinot noir barrels for nine months. What’s born is a beer that has more caramel notes and maltiness upfront and then transforms into delicious pinot noir notes and tannins. For someone who loves pinot noir and beer, this is the best of both worlds. This beer is perfect for cuddling up on the couch with your valentine.

Organic Chocolate Stout | Samuel Smith Brewery

A Valentine’s 6er isn’t complete without a chocolate stout. Samuel Smith makes one of the best chocolate stouts you can get your hands on. They gently roast organic chocolate malt and organic cocoa to create a creamy, rich beer that full of incredible chocolate flavor. It’s hard to believe the simplicity of ingredients used to create this beer would create such a rich product. Samuel’s Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout would make a great pairing with almost any chocolate dessert on Valentine’s Day.

I Love You With My Stout | Evil Twin Brewing

Let’s call this one a love letter to all dark better fans. It’s hard for Evil Twin Brewing to do any wrong, and I Love You With My Stout is no exception. Your palate is immediately greeted by roasted coffee notes and then followed by notes of chocolate and vanilla. Like most Imperial Stouts, it’s boozy and strong sitting at 10% ABV. If your valentine enjoys stouts as much as you do, then this will be better than any box of chocolates you can grab at the store.

Dry Cry | Stillwater Artisanal

BONUS BEER! Valentine’s Day can be rough on the single. You’re tired of watching your coworkers giggle over their hand-delivered gifts, and you‘re trying hard to avoid the dreaded question: what are you doing tonight? Spending the night alone on your couch. Why not pop open this beer from Stillwater Artisanal? A dry-hopped sour that is so complex you’ll forget all about spending the night alone. The aroma of dank hops immediately hits you, but it’s followed by the scent of lemon. The beer is an interesting mixture of funky, sour, and tart—moving from lemon tart to dank hops and then to a mellow lemon flavor. Once your palate has recovered from the various flavors, the taste of Riesling grapes rests on your tongue.

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