13 Lucky Ways to Score Points with Your Valentine

Photo: courtesy of Piece, Love & Chocolate website

Colorado Chocolate, Beer and Love Songs Paired for Valentine’s Day

By Natasha Lovato

We love Colorado so much that it has become our default Valentine. She’s home to some of the best craft sweets, beers and music. What better way to celebrate the Centennial State than with an evening of Colorado’s best? Please feel free to indulge in these Valentine’s mashups.

1.      The Chocolate Therapist, Aspen Brewing Co., String Cheese Incident - Satisfy your chocolate craving by snacking on dark chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds from Littleton’s The Chocolate Therapist. It will pair nicely with Aspen Brewing Co.’s Silver City Ale. Listen to “Sirens” by String Cheese Incident, a band with strong ties to Crested Butte, Telluride and our hearts.

2.      Telluride Truffle, Comrade Brewing, Leftover Salmon - Telluride Truffle will leave you wanting more with their Rocky Top Truffle. Enjoy it with Comrade Brewing’s Koffee Kream Extra Stout and the bluegrass stylings of Boulder’s Leftover Salmon in their love song, “Baby Hold On.” 

Milk Chocolate Almond Toffee. Photo: courtesy of Enstrom Candies' website

3.      Enstrom Candies, Bruz Beers, Nathaniel Rateliff - Milk chocolate and almond toffee from Enstrom Candies in Arvada is a must try along with Black Static, a dark single ale from Bruz Beers in Denver. Keeping the combo in the metro area, listen to “Howling at Nothing” by Denver native Nathaniel Rateliff.

4.      Roberta’s Chocolates, Phantom Canyon Brewing Co., The Motet - A Denver treat from Roberta’s Chocolates, the white chocolate cookies and cream bar teams up smoothly with the Bump It On Em’ brown ale from Colorado Springs-based Phantom Canyon. Listen to the funky beat of “Get it Right” by Denver’s The Motet while you’re at it. 

5.      Nuance Chocolate, Odell Brewing Co., One Republic – For a spicy mix that can’t miss, pair chili pepper dark chocolate from Nuance Chocolate in Fort Collins with another Fort Collins favorite, the Wolf Picker experimental IPA from Odell Brewing Co. Then take a listen to “Rich Love,” the latest release from the best-known band from Colorado Springs, One Republic. 

6.      Piece Love and Chocolate, Boulder Beer Co., The Burroughs - Enjoy the nutty, chocolaty taste of a Piece, Love, and Chocolate panther paw in Boulder along with Shake, a chocolate porter by Boulder Beer Co. While you delight in the Boulder pairing, enjoy the sweaty and sultry sounds from a band out of Greeley known as The Burroughs, specifically, a love song titled: “Kiss You.”

White rascal belgian-style white ale. Photo: courtesy of Avery Brewing

7.      Chocolate Lab, Avery Brewing, Esme Patterson - Go nuts with coconut clusters from the Chocolate Lab in Denver along with the Belgian-style wheat ale from Avery Brewing in Boulder. Denver native Esme Patterson adds her flair to the mix with her song, “Yours and Mine.”

8.      Robin Chocolates, Bristol Brewing, The Fray - It’s all cherries jubilee with this pairing. Robin Chocolates in Longmont creates a brandied cherry that goes nicely with the cherry sour from Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs. Although currently AWOL, Denver’s The Fray captured us in the early 2000s with their chart-topping hits, so be sure to reminisce while listening to “Be Still.”

9.      Chocolove, Goat Patch, Tennis - A trifecta of tastes is presented by Chocolove in Boulder, featuring the almond and sea salt dark chocolate bar, combined with a glass of It Takes a Tribe red ale from Goat Patch Brewing in Colorado Springs. Match up the paring with the pop stylings of a Denver group known as Tennis and their song “Fields of Blue.”

10.  Cacao Chemistry, Holidaily Brewing, The Lumineers - Pretty as it is delicious, strawberries and cream bark from the Colorado Springs chocolatier, Cacao Chemistry, is the perfect Valentine ’s Day treat. Try out the Golden brewery, Holidaily Brewing. Match their blonde ale, Favorite Blonde, with Denver’s well-known rock-folk band, The Lumineers, and their latest song “Pretty Paper.” 

11.  Radiantly Raw Chocolate, Woods Boss Brewing, Paper Bird - Indulge while also keeping kissy-fresh breath with this mouthful of chocolate and beer pairings: Mylky Mynt peppermint squares made in Manitou Springs by Radiantly Raw Chocolate, and Magical Narwhal Candy Cane Unicorn Milk Stout with Candy Canes brewed by Woods Boss Brewing in Denver. Listen to the indie folk song “Aslam” by Denver’s band, Paper Bird, while your taste buds take a stroll down candy cane lane. 

12.  Fortuna Chocolate, Sanitas Brewing, Big Gigantic - Boulder shows us everything is peachy-keen at the base of the Flatirons with all three of these choices. The Palisade Peach White Chocolate with Papant La Vanilla Milk Chocolate from Fortuna Chocolate pairs perfectly with the Sour Peach Ale from Sanitas Brewing and the rave-worthy beat “Got the Love” by Big Gigantic. It’s a must-try! 

13.  Cultura Craft Chocolate, Ska Brewing, Elephant Revival - Denver brings a sweet treat to you with chocolate-covered honey caramels from Cultura Craft Chocolate, perfectly paired with the Mexican-style lager, Mexican Logger, from Ska Brewing in Durango. Spoil yourself even more as you listen to “Birds and Stars” by Elephant Revival from Nederland. 

Photo: courtesy of The Lumineer's website