My quest over the holidays was simple. It was framed with one question, and in my ample research, the answer was yes. The question: Does this beer go with gingerbread cookies?
In my household there are a lot of cookies passed around at Christmas time. On average, we make 20 different varieties. And as we all know, I love beer, so naturally I had to find a way to have my two favourite things at the same time. There were naysayers. My mom is of the opinion that tea and hot chocolate are better accompaniments to cookies. My dad, a fellow beer-lover, had doubts. But those were silenced when time and time again my instincts were right.
So which beers go with gingerbread cookies?
Many, it turns out.
On my first day home I tested the waters with Tree Brewing Company’s Hophead Black IPA. The beer had slight coffee notes and a bit of a smoky flavour. After a couple of sips, I thought, why not have some gingerbread with this? My dad was unsure, but after having the two together I convinced him. The smooth and bitter qualities of the beer paired nicely with the molasses in gingerbread cookies.
A couple of days later I was at it again, this time with a more obvious choice: a Belgian quad. A quad is a beer style that has been fermented four times, hence the name. Typically this beer is rich and malty and evil, because the smooth taste hides the high alcohol content.
Later that evening I tried not one, but two quads with gingerbread. We had the classic Rochefort 10—probably the go-to for quads—and the St. Bernardus Christmas Ale.
The Christmas ale is milder in flavour and alcohol content: A measly 10 per cent to the Rochefort’s 12 per cent. Both have a rich, fruity flavour similar to fruitcake, which blends nicely with the spice in gingerbread.
Next I decided to see if less obvious choices would go with gingies. A friend brought over some Forked River coffee porter, which, you guessed it, goes with gingerbread.
Maybe I have weird taste buds where almost everything goes with gingerbread, or maybe I’m on to something. Of course, I know that everything does not go with gingerbread. For example, lighter beers such as lagers or pilsners would be too mild, and extremely bitter beers such as an IPA would just be plain weird. It’s darker beers with a full flavour and a hint of sweetness that work with gingerbread.
My one real miss was pairing a gingerbread cookie with a sour ale. While not a terrible mix, the ale was better suited with the tomato soup I was eating for lunch. So maybe have the sour ale beforehand, then go to the dark, fuller beers.
It may seem unusual, but beer is far more versatile than many think. So I say try it, because you might like it.
The lesson to be learned is that where there is a meal, there is a beer.
