Pair Craft Beer With Those Girl Scout Cookies

Girl Scout cookie season is in full swing and while you are busy eating that entire sleeve of thin mints, why not wash down those cookies with a craft beer? In the spirit of pairing beer and wine with almost anything, we are here to help.

Wes, the Cicerone certified (think wine sommelier for beer) owner of Select Beer in Redondo Beach offered Patch some suggestions on how to pair your newly arrived tagalongs, do-si-dos and samoas with beers that are available in the Los Angeles area.

Most of these beers can be found in specialty beer and liquor stores in the area including Select Beer Store, Adam's Fine Wine & Liquor, Total Wine & More and BevMo!.

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The Cookie: Thin Mints
The Beer: North Coast Brewing Old Stock Ale (Old Ale)

Thin mints, the chocolate covered wafers made with peppermint oil have a distinctive chocolate mint taste that pairs well with the higher alcohol content (11.9% ABV) and bite of this beer designed for ageing. 

The Cookie: Samoas (Caramel deLites)
The Beer: Maui Brewing Company Coconut Porter

These vanilla cookies, which are covered in caramel then topped with coconut and more chocolate pair perfectly with Maui's coconut porter which uses toasted coconut in the brewing process. According to Maui Brewing, this beer "begins with a malty toasted coconut aroma followed by a rich silky feel with tastes of dark malt, chocolate and hints of coffee."

The Cookie: Tagalongs & Do-si-dos
The Beer: Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel

Peanut butter presented the biggest challenge for selecting an appropriate craft beer pairing. Peanut butter is think and creamy on the palate so a beer with a drier finish works best. To play up the classic peanut butter and banana combination, we selected Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel for its use of a yeast known for its banana-like characteristics. This beer is also plenty effervescent and not too heavy on the palate -- perfect for both Tagalong and Do-si-dos.

The Cookie: Savannah Smiles
The Beer: The Bruery Saison de Lente

The crisp lemon characteristic of this powder sugar-covered cookie goes well with the crisp, but still complex flavors of this locally-brewed saison. If you cannot find this beer, other brands of saison, Beligan Wit beers and Belgian tripels will also pair well with this cookie.

The Cookie: Trefoils (Shortbreads)
The Beer: Your Pick

Shortbreads, because they are lightly flavored, pair well with pretty much any beer of your choosing. "There is not a beer in the world that doesn't go with shortbreads," said Wes. So, why not discover a new beer while enjoying these treats?

Like all beer or wine pairings, our tastes are subjective. Tell us in the comments section, which beers would you pair with your favorite cookies?