Tap Room Floor Cookie from The Drunken Baker and Tree House Eureka Blonde Ale

I have an affinity for anyone engaged in doing what they are passionate about. The Drunken Baker is one such person. Shayne has a real entrepreneurial spirit and it shows when you see her pictures on Instagram or check out her website, but it especially shows when you take a bite of one of her baked goods.

The Beer: You can’t talk craft beer in CT without talking about Tree House. They may not be a CT brewery but it’s just across the Mass border and it is safe to say that many of the great IPAs that we get to have locally take inspiration from Treehouse at the very least. It’s close enough for a trip for some of the highest quality beers in all of New England. This Blonde Ale was actually my first selection from Tree House and boy do they live up their reputation. This beer is definitely a blonde but with a big hop note and low bitter finish with a wonderful wheat mid profile. It pours like a slightly opaque Hefeweizen and kind of drinks like one too, which I’m fine with. I will definitely be going back to this beer given the opportunity.

The Cookie: This cookie is called the Tap Room floor, it is aptly named because it is like other cookies sometimes called trash can, garbage, or even compost cookies. The theme here is salty and sweet and these little guys deliver. They have a shortbread consistency but are pleasantly sweetened with chocolate chips, and the potato chips carry some crunch and salt. (if you follow the blog you know we LOVE potato chip cookies) The pretzel pieces really set these apart, they also have coffee grounds in there, which I didn’t think the coffee was going to make much of an impact but it is a fun and delicious addition.

The Pairing: The blonde ale’s balanced beer profile marries really well with the salty sweet combo of the cookie. If you want to try this out for yourself these Tap Room cookies are available at 30 mile brewing out in Old Saybrook, and they make a blonde ale there that is “Totes Blonde” and totes a great beer to drink with these cookies.