Valentine’s Day is nearly here and while some buck the holiday with claims of corporations running a muck and forcing us to buy cards, candy and flowers others embrace the holiday as a way to say “I love you.” Wherever you fall on the spectrum we can all agree that enjoying a delicious beer with a loved one is a great way to spend any day.

Chocolate is the dominant favorite when it comes to Valentine’s Day and there is no shortage of great beers that have chocolate flavors throughout. These are perfect beers for those with a sweet tooth or just someone looking for something easy drinking while relaxing around the house.

Here is a short list of some absolutely delicious beers that are perfect accompaniments to any Valentine’s Day celebration, even if you are celebrating alone!

Yards Brewing- Chocolate Love Stout: Yards brews a phenomenal English stout called Love Stout. The rich creamy body and subtle sweetness makes it a perfect base to add chocolate to and the brewery has done just that! Rich flavors of vanilla and caramel melt into a deep luscious chocolate taste and aroma. The sweetness is perfectly balanced and this is one of the most easy drinking stouts you will ever have the pleasure of tasting.

Sam Adams- Chocolate Bock: This limited seasonal release from Sam Adams combines the wonderfully malty bock beer with a punch of chocolate. This is a definite try for those who love a good lager and are looking for something more interesting. The smooth body of the bock is definitely here, with sweet chocolate present in the nose and taste. A creamy body gives this beer a feel of sweet chocolate sauce without being cloying.

Samuel Smith- Organic Chocolate Stout: Not only is this beer organic but it is absolutely delicious. This sweet stout has a huge hit of chocolate that does not quit. The easiest way to describe this beer is like Hershey’s syrup in beer form and balanced so the sweetness does not destroy the beer. If you like your stouts sweet, creamy, and delicious look no further. Also, this is a great beer to make a beer float with your favorite ice cream.

Firestone Walker- Sucaba: While this is not a beer that possess chocolate flavors it does possess everything else you could possibly want in a beer including a 13.4 percent ABV. This barrel aged barley-wine is full of complexities with notes of coconut, vanilla, dark cherry, tobacco, and yes, even hints of dark chocolate. This is a phenomenal beer to try with a loved one and discuss the nuances present within, if nothing else by the time you finish the bottle you will both be ready for a fantastic Valentine’s Day evening.

Southern Tier- Choklat: This much sought after beer from Southern Tier is thankfully available year round, but is especially delicious this time of year. The beer is aptly named with a strong chocolate presence throughout, leaning more toward the sweet milk chocolate variety. This is also a great beer to enjoy in the evening with its warming 10 percent ABV qualities it is a phenomenal dessert beer.

If you are spending Valentine’s Day alone some of these beers may not sound as appealing to you, but don’t worry there are some great recommendations for you as well. For our single female readers Stone Brewing Co.’s Arrogant Bastard comes highly recommended and for our single male readers why not grab a Raging Bitch from Flying Dog Brewery.

Derek Warren is a beer fanatic, avid homebrewer and beer historian. Derek can be heard weekly on the Beer Geeks Radio Hour at noon on Sundays on WILK 103.1 FM with past episodes available on iTunes.

Romantic flavors of beer blend well with Feb. 14

By Derek Warren

For Weekender

Southern Tier’s Choklat is a solid 10 percent ABV and is a great dessert beer.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_Choklat.jpgSouthern Tier’s Choklat is a solid 10 percent ABV and is a great dessert beer.

Firestone Walker’s Sucaba is sure to warm up any cold night with its 13.4 percent ABV.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_sucaba.jpgFirestone Walker’s Sucaba is sure to warm up any cold night with its 13.4 percent ABV.

Yards Brewing Co.’s Chocolate Love Stout goes great on any day, but especially a day dedicated to love.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_yards.jpgYards Brewing Co.’s Chocolate Love Stout goes great on any day, but especially a day dedicated to love.

Sam Adams’ has a seasonal release, Chocolate Bock, available for only a few months.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_chocolatebok.jpgSam Adams’ has a seasonal release, Chocolate Bock, available for only a few months.

This organic beer by Samuel Smith tastes like Hershey’s syrup with a blast of beer.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_sam-smith-chocolate.jpgThis organic beer by Samuel Smith tastes like Hershey’s syrup with a blast of beer.