Drinking Through Girl Scout Cookie Season

God bless America: Girl Scout cookie season has arrived.

I’m not sure if it’s the rarity or the nostalgia, but I get way too excited to crack open those perfectly packaged guilty pleasures come cookie season. And while Girl Scout cookie + beer pairing isn’t a new concept, it’s fun to taste new beers alongside an old favorite treat.

Read on to see what we tasted and where we think we could take the pairing in the future.

Do-si-Dos + Solemn Oath’s Grape Barrel-Aged Brandy Baltic Porter

Peanut butter + jelly = the ultimate power couple, so when I found out that Solemn Oath was releasing a grape barrel-aged beer, I was all in. With its sherry sweetness and roasty porter backbone, this beer paired perfectly to create a delightful pbj duo.

I’d encourage anyone to seek out jammy, fruity beers to pair with their pb sandwich cookies.

Suggestions: New Glarus Raspberry Tart, Founders Rubaeus, Goose Island Bourbon County Bramble Rye

Thin Mints + Southern Tier Thick Mint Imperial Stout

This pair is a bit on the nose, but it’s interesting to see how the chocolate and mint unfold with each bite and sequential sip. I’m typically not big on minty beers, but this one is well-balanced with loads of chocolate. My advice is to let the stout warm up a bit and explore how the flavors open up with time.

Suggestions: Odd Side Ales Java Chip Mint Stout, Pipeworks Mint Truffle Abduction

Tagalongs + 18th Street Hunter Vanilla Milk Stout

For me, the ultimate dessert includes chocolate, peanut butter and vanilla. In that order. Tagalongs, the rich chocolate-peanut butter cookies, were too sweet next to the Hunter Vanilla. So sweet, in fact, that Hunter Vanilla came off as a bit more bitter than we would have liked. In the future, we’d love to try another vanilla stout with the Tagalong.

Suggestions: Big Muddy Vanilla Stout, Revolution Vanilla Deth

But, the game changer was tasting the Tagalong with the aforementioned Grape BA Brandy Baltic Porter.

Apparently, we’re not the only ones who thought that the chocolate peanut butter cookie tasted great with a jammy beer. In fact, my friend Emily over at @FlightBottleShoppe shared that Iron & Glass paired Tagalongs with a Misbeehavin’ Black Rasperry Cider and it was phenomenal.

I never need another excuse to seek out more fruity beers, and now that I know they pair well with peanut butter and chocolate cookies, I’m off to New Glarus…