Black Hog’s Coffee Milk Stout and Pocky Sticks
Milk stout has risen to the top as a particularly good beer to pair cookies with. Maybe it’s a subconscious thing with the word milk. Perhaps it's more than that though. Milk stouts are called this because the brewer adds lactose sugar to the beer. Lactose is a sugar that is non fermentable so it sweetens and thickens the beer. Giving it a slightly sweet taste and a creamy mouthfeel. Making its viscosity more like cream than like water. Also, coffee flavors from the malt make this style of beer even better for some kinds of cookies.
The Beer: Black Hog’s Coffee Milk Stout is a creamy coffee tasting delicious brew. With a touch of sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel, this robust coffee stout is ready for a cookie. I’ve had a few milk stouts now and this one is a solid submission to this style. It’s availability in cans makes it a great choice for YOUR NEXT BEER AND COOKIE PARTY. We know you’ve been thinking about having one. You should do it!
The Cookie: Pocky Sticks are thin wafer crisp sticks enrobed in a chocolatey jacket. Their business slogan is, “Share Happiness” which is exactly how I felt sharing these little guys in the tasting room. These crispy chocolate yum sticks are a staple for some college students. They are rather simple, but each part is really tasty. The crisp stick is light and crunchy. The chocolate is a soft milk chocolate that is a little thicker than I was expecting, which was a nice surprise.
The Pairing: I do think that coffee is a natural cookie partner, and milk obviously has a storied past as a washer down of many a cookie. After a sip of the stout it was obvious that the Pocky Stick would pair well with this cookie. The coffee and roasty notes of the beer marry really well with the chocolate. The wafer crisp soaks up a tiny bit of liquid but maintains its crunch. Also, stiring the beer with the stick was fun and the last sip of beer was particularly good because some chocolate was left behind. Next time you are at Target, pick up some pocky sticks and I think you’ll agree they are a gem of a sweet treat.
