Beer & Chocolate

Lined up and ready to be consumed

Chicago has a great local food scene, and all of the amazing businesses in town make it really easy to put together a themed holiday gift. I thought I might share a fun and fairly inexpensive idea that we used last year: pairings of Wild Ophelia chocolate and Goose Island specialty Belgium beers.

We bought four-packs of each kind of beer and split them up, and each couple that got a gift box received two bottles of each type of beer and one corresponding bar of chocolate, along with two small glasses, cocktail napkins and a menu to outline the suggested pairings. They were such a hit that we kept one of the line-ups for ourselves, and we sampled everything one lazy and slightly tipsy Sunday afternoon while watching a football game and taking notes on our favorites. Sometimes the best gifts are the ones that you give to yourself! 

Sofie & Southern Hibiscus Peach Milk Chocolate Bar: 

This beer’s citrus notes complement the subtle sweetness of the peach-infused chocolate.

Pere Jacques & Peanut Butter & Banana Milk Chocolate Bar:

 Pere Jacques' malty sweetness and hints of dark, dried fruit complement the sweet and savory bar.

Pepe Nero & Beef Jerky Milk Chocolate Bar:

The bold, earthy and roasty flavors of Pepe Nero are the perfect complement to this tangy, savory chocolate.

Matilda & Smokehouse BBQ Potato Chip Dark Chocolate Bar:

 The spicy, savory character of this beer cuts through the sweet and smoky flavor of the bar.

Getting ready to dig in

The perfect present

November No Longer

Early morning drive into Indiana

The four-day Thanksgiving weekend is a work of genius. It’s just enough time to allow you to fully indulge and then get back on track. And, it serves as a nice and slow intro to the holiday season. Having learned a number of traffic nightmare-related lessons in years past, we held off on driving from Chicago until early Thanksgiving morning, at which point the highways were blissfully free of panicked drivers.

We got into Cincinnati with plenty of time to make festive cocktails before family arrived, and later we feasted on turkey with all of the trimmings and played a few rounds of our new favorite board game. Friday entailed a good deal of lounging around the house, and then a spontaneous trip to see the Bearcats play in the afternoon. By the time we got back into Chicago on Saturday, we had just enough energy left to unpack a few Christmas decorations and start sprucing up the condo. 

Fresh cranberries for muddling in our "Old Fashioned Thanksgivings"

Our up-close view from the Student Section 

An afternoon drive through Clifton that culminated in this view of Eden Park

The newest addition to our tinsel tree collection