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Valentines Day with Craft Beer
  1. Craft Beer Muses

Find Love with Craft Beer Aphrodisiacs

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Humans are sexual by nature (it’s Valentine’s Day and we’re all adults here, right?). Throughout history, people have long celebrated the foods and beverages that induce lust and increase libido. Love potions of some shape or form have been part of almost every culture for thousands of years—this includes beer.

Since its conception (how’s that for a play on words), alcohol has been celebrated for its euphoric properties. Beer is not only a social lubricant—it’s also a lust-enhancing aphrodisiac that was even worshiped by the Romans. But alcohol can do as much harm to the body as it can do good. Shakespeare alluded in Macbeth that alcohol “provokes the desire, but it takes away from the performance.” All things in moderation, my friends.

When it comes to lust-inducing beverages, craft beer is king. What makes this super sexy nectar of the gods more erotic than the rest is its ability to be infused with additional aphrodisiacs like chocolate, oysters and chili peppers. Although I doubt brewers intentionally spike their beers with libido-enhancing ingredients, one cannot deny the powerful effect craft beer has on the human anatomy, both physiologically and psychologically.

So skip the Champagne this Valentine’s Day and seduce the object of your affection with one of the following aphrodisiac-infused craft beers.

Oyster Stout

Oyster StoutAccording to legend, Aphrodite, the goddess of sexuality and love, rose out of the sea in an oyster shell, forever associating oysters with sexual desire and fertility. Oysters are high in zinc, which has been known to increase sperm count, and recently, researchers have linked the amino acids found in oysters to an increased production of sex hormones.

It might come as a shock to those unfamiliar with the style, but a handful of craft brewers actually brew with theses sexy invertebrates. Some brew with only the shells, while others opt to brew with the entire oyster, shell and all. Oyster stouts are typically dark, roasty and dry with a mild brininess.

This Valentine’s Day, get it on with a dozen oysters and one of these equally arousing oyster stouts:

Chili Pepper Beers

Fiery and potent, chili peppers are a powerful aphrodisiac. Chili peppers increase heart rate and levels of endorphins in the body, as well as raise the internal body temperature. This intense combo can lead to an energy rush so pleasurable that it triggers an addiction to spicy food.

Montezuma infamously spiked his desire-enhancing chocolate drink with chilies to kick up his libido before visiting his concubines.

These days, craft brewers have been experimenting with all types of hot peppers in beers—even the palate-scorching ghost pepper. Here are some beers sure to spark your fire this Valentine’s Day:

Chocolate Beers

Chocolate Craft BeerOne cannot deny the wonderful powers of chocolate. Personally, I think chocolate has the ability to solve and cure just about any problem in the world. The Mayans worshiped the cacao tree because they believed it was divine in origin.

Outside of its intoxicating aroma and taste, chocolate is a natural mood enhancer and brain stimulator.

Stouts are by far the most common style to feature chocolate but isn’t unheard of to find it in other styles. Heighten the mood this Valentine’s Day with one of these cocoa-tastic elixirs:

Honey Beers

Honey BeersInteresting fact: Honeymoon got its name from an old Viking tradition involving mead, an alcohol beverage made from honey, that the groom and bride were encouraged to imbibe.

Honey is rich in the chemical chrysin, a testosterone booster, and B vitamins, also good for testosterone.

Although honey is almost entirely fermentable, beers brewed with honey still have an exhilarating essence of je ne sais quoi. Turn your Valentine’s Day into a mini-honeymoon escape with one of these mead-esque brews:

Fruit Beers

Fruit BeersBecause of their association with fertility (think seeds), many fruits are considered to be aphrodisiacs.

Figs, bananas, avocados, strawberries, watermelons and pomegranates are just a few sensual fruits known to possess erotic powers.

Induce lust this Valentine’s Day with one of these fruit-infused brews:

Whether aphrodisiacs have true medicinal powers outside of myth and folklore remains a debate. Not debatable, though, is the magical effects of craft beer. What craft beer will you be sharing with your loved one this Valentine’s Day?

Ashley Routson, known amongst the craft beer community as The Beer Wench, is a self-proclaimed craft beer evangelist and social media maven on a mission to advance the craft beer industry through education, inspiration and advocacy. She is the author of The Beer Wench's Guide to Beer: An Unpretentious Guide to Craft Beer.

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