Valentine’s Day Gifts for the Craft Beer Foodie

If you really want to impress your sweetheart this Valentine’s day, skip the flowers and jewelry. Remind them that it’s the relationship that truly matters—specifically, the one between craft beer and food.

Craft beer’s versatility seems to be never-ending, as it’s popping up everywhere from specialty bakeries and creameries to butcher shops and barbecue joints. If you can find the pairing that wins over your special someone’s taste buds, their heart is sure to follow. So here’s a Valentine’s Day gift list for the craft beer foodie that includes condiments, confections and everything in between.

Don’t forget to stop by your local brewery and grab a growler of your Valentine’s favorite craft beer to go along with these beer-inspired goodies!

Mustards & Jellies

• Stone Brewing Co.’s whole-grain mustard, Sublimely Self Righteous MustardOpens in new window, is made with (you guessed it) Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous Ale.
• Firestone Walker Brewing Co. uses its award-winning Double Barrel Ale in its DBA MustardOpens in new window.
• Pikes Brewing Co.’s XXXXX Stout MustardOpens in new window is made with its award-winning stout, featuring flavors of chocolate, licorice and espresso.
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. adds honey and its world-famous Pale Ale to its Honey MustardOpens in new window.
• Otter Creek Brewing Co’s Black IPA is used in its Black India Pale Ale Beer JellyOpens in new window. The creators at Potlicker Kitchen recommend pairing it with smoked cheeses or using it as a glaze for meats.

BBQ & Hot Sauces

• Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale is used in Brannen Gourmet’s Original BBQ SauceOpens in new window and Sweet Habanero BBQ SauceOpens in new window.
• Victory Brewing Co.’s Storm King Stout is the stand-out ingredient in Homegrown Homesweet’s Punch Drunk Chocolate Ghost Pepper Hot SauceOpens in new window.
• Stone Brewing Co.’s Arrogant Bastard Ale is the inspiration for the Burning Trinity of Hot SaucesOpens in new window: one bottle each of Arrogant Bastard Ale Jalapeno Heat Sauce, Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale Chipotle Sauce, and Double Bastard Ale Double Burn Habanero Sauce.

Cheeses, Meats & Pickles

• New Glarus Brewing Co.’s Raspberry Tart is used to soak Bellavitano’s parmesan/cheddar blend to create the New Glarus Raspberry Tart CheeseOpens in new window.
• Rogue Ales’ Chocolate Stout is poured over curd at the Rogue Creamery to produce the Chocolate Stout CheddarOpens in new window.
• White cheese curds are soaked in Milwaukee Brewing Co.’s Milk Stout to create Milk Stout Beer CheeseOpens in new window.
• Devil’s Canyon Brewing Co.’s Scotch Ale is used in the gold medal-winning Hopscotch CheddarOpens in new window by Fiscalini Cheese.
• Victory Brewing’s German-style Pilsner is added to the brine of Crisp & Co’s PicklesOpens in new window, along with fresh thyme, dill seed, coriander, mustard seed, black pepper, garlic and chile de arbol.
• Dogfish Head’s 60 Minute IPA is used to make Brooklyn Brine Hop PicklesOpens in new window.
• Gordon Biersch Brewing Co.’s Pilsner shows up in Saag’s Gordon Biersch BratwurstOpens in new window, made with pork, natural spices and flavors in a natural pork casing.

Sweets

• Victory Brewing Co.’s Storm King Imperial Stout combines with chocolate, lavender and handmade waffle dough in Waffatopia’s Sweet & Stormy wafflesOpens in new window.
• Redwood Curtain Brewing’s IPA is used in the salty and sweet IPA Peanut BrittleOpens in new window by Boujie Baking Co. Its IPA is also used in the IPA Spicy Pralined AlmondsOpens in new window, along with maple syrup and cayenne.
• Rogue Ales’ Stout goes into Vosges Chocolate’s Smoke & Stout Caramel BarOpens in new window, along with burnt sugar caramel, 70-percent-cacao dark chocolate and Alderwood-smoked salt.
• Rogue Ales’ Double Chocolate Stout is used in Sugar Knife’s The Big Poppa BrittleOpens in new window, along with macadamias, tart dried cherries and Guittard chocolate chips.
• Brooklyn Brewery’s Chocolate Stout is used in Liddabit Sweets’ Gingerbread Stout CaramelsOpens in new window. Liddabit also uses Brooklyn’s Brown Ale and East India Pale Ale in Salty Martin’s Pretzels with CaramelOpens in new window.

Kristen Kuchar

Kristen Kuchar has been writing about the beverage industry for 15 years for a variety of national publications including VinePair, Zymurgy, The Beer Connoisseur, Craftbeer.com, Beer Advocate, Brew Your Own, Thirst Colorado, All About Beer, DRAFT, and dozens more. She is a Certified Beer Server and has a Level 1 Wine Certification with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust while continuing to pursue further wine and beverage education.

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