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What beer to pair with your holiday treats

A wooden beer slight with multiple mugs of beers with candy canes surrounding them

You know the festive sweets you’ve been waiting for all year? These are the perfect brews to enjoy them with

No matter how or what you celebrate, the holidays are the time for special sweets. So why not pair that sugar rush with a beer that complements your fave treats’ best qualities? We promise, they’ll send your taste buds to a very good place. Here are the pairings that should be meeting under the mistletoe.

Candied nuts + brown ale

Brown ale sometimes goes by the name “nut brown ale” because it develops a nutty flavour profile during brewing. That’s good, because sugar-coated candied nuts pair well with all that malty sweetness.

Nanaimo bars + India pale ale (IPA)

IPA is a fruity, powerfully hopped beer with some tropical influence, which complements the coconut in this classic Canadian dessert. The rich, dark chocolate ganache on top also needs a strong companion. IPA shows up across the board.

Candy canes + stout or porter

Opposites attract, so this duo shouldn’t seem unusual. Chocolate and peppermint are each other’s hype men, so the chocolaty malt flavours of stout and porter are natural BFFs (best flavour friends) for candy canes, whether you’re enjoying them straight-up or in chocolate bark.

Gulab jamun + Belgian-style ale

A Belgian-style ale matches this Diwali dessert in a couple of ways. The ale gives off an almost-chewy sweetness, and it delivers subtly spiced hops that highlight both the sugary syrup and the cardamom and rosewater flavourings of the dough.

Chocolate-covered sea salt caramels + British-style pale ale

Arguably, these are the best chocolates in the box. A British-style pale ale creates its own rendition of toffee-like notes, which amplify the sticky-sweet caramel interior of this treat. The briny balance offered by the sea salt seals the deal.

English-style toffee + cream ale or kolsch

To cut the sweetness of English toffee, you’ll need a cream ale or kolsch. Both brews are light and refreshing, which is a perfect divergence from the rich, buttery, bark-like slab.

Sufganiyot + fruit-flavoured beer

Hanukkah comes with a lot of special traditions, including these delicious little jelly doughnuts. A fruit-flavoured beer will do nicely when it comes time for gooey, jammy centres and icing-sugar-coated fingers.

Chocolate orange + Belgian-style white beer

Here’s what you need to know: Belgian-style white beers can do no wrong when paired with anything orange-flavoured. These suds are often infused with orange peels, so think of the citrusy chocolate as the wedge outside of your glass.

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