What to drink with "gourmet" chocolate
 

My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking
of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru"
Origin Sampler Box)

I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too
strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister
suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips,
I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for
her (though chocolate is not).

Any suggestions?

Bob

Bob wrote:
> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking
> of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru"
> Origin Sampler Box)
>
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
> the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
> the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
> seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too
> strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister
> suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
> particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips,
> I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
> possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for
> her (though chocolate is not).
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Bob
>
>


Light beer, such as Miller Lite, or Bud Light -- so as not to overpower
the subtlety of the chocolate. HTH :-)

Bob

Bob wrote:
> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking
> of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru"
> Origin Sampler Box)
>
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
> the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
> the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
> seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too
> strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister
> suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
> particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips,
> I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
> possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for
> her (though chocolate is not).
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Bob
>
>


Light beer, such as Miller Lite, or Bud Light -- so as not to overpower
the subtlety of the chocolate. HTH :-)

Bob

In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:

> Light beer, such as Miller Lite, or Bud Light -- so as not to overpower
> the subtlety of the chocolate. HTH :-)

After a brewing expo, a bunch of executives from various companies
decided to go out for drinks.

The guy from Miller says, "Give me the 'Champagne of Beers,' Miller High
Life." The bartender serves him.

The guy from Budweiser says, "Give me 'The King Of Beers', a Budweiser."
The bartender gives him one.

The guy from Coors says, "I'd like the only beer made with Rocky
Mountain spring water, give me a Coors." He gets it.

The guy from Guinness sits down and says, "Give me a Coke." The
bartender is a little taken aback, but gives him what he ordered.

The other brewery presidents look over at him and ask, "a Coke? Why are
you ordering Coke?" The Guinness president replies, "Well, if you guys
aren't drinking beer, neither will I."

--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"

<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>

In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:

> Light beer, such as Miller Lite, or Bud Light -- so as not to overpower
> the subtlety of the chocolate. HTH :-)

After a brewing expo, a bunch of executives from various companies
decided to go out for drinks.

The guy from Miller says, "Give me the 'Champagne of Beers,' Miller High
Life." The bartender serves him.

The guy from Budweiser says, "Give me 'The King Of Beers', a Budweiser."
The bartender gives him one.

The guy from Coors says, "I'd like the only beer made with Rocky
Mountain spring water, give me a Coors." He gets it.

The guy from Guinness sits down and says, "Give me a Coke." The
bartender is a little taken aback, but gives him what he ordered.

The other brewery presidents look over at him and ask, "a Coke? Why are
you ordering Coke?" The Guinness president replies, "Well, if you guys
aren't drinking beer, neither will I."

--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"

<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>

Bob wrote:
> My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm thinking
> of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
> http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I Cru"
> Origin Sampler Box)
>
> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
> the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm thinking along
> the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk, but none of them
> seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be too
> strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My sister
> suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
> particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six sips,
> I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
> possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger for
> her (though chocolate is not).
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Bob
>

MANY people like coffee with chocolate, so that should be an option.
I actually put cocoa in my coffee daily. Coffee & Chocolate is a great
combination.

Milk is a good idea.

Red wine? Yes. Although the migrain might be becasue of the Tannins.
http://wine.about.com/cs/winemaking/a/tannins.htm
depending on his or her sensitivity, you could find a low tannin wine
http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/th...cles/207P1.asp

The cranberry juice mix could also be a nice option, like the one you
mentioned above or maybe cran-apple. Or a fruit juice with strawberry
as one of the main ingredients. I think there is a Kiwi-Strawberry
juice made by some company.

"Bob" > wrote in message
>
> . My sister
> suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
> particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six
> sips,

Six sips? Even six ounces is not very much for an adult that is easting
over some time.


> I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
> possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger
> for
> her (though chocolate is not).

So all the other guests get pansy juice because of one person? Give her a
glass of grape juice or milk and let the rest enjoy. I'd consider having a
couple of different wines to pair with the chololate.

"Bob" > wrote in message
>
> . My sister
> suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not
> particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at least six
> sips,

Six sips? Even six ounces is not very much for an adult that is easting
over some time.


> I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine would be a
> possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a migraine trigger
> for
> her (though chocolate is not).

So all the other guests get pansy juice because of one person? Give her a
glass of grape juice or milk and let the rest enjoy. I'd consider having a
couple of different wines to pair with the chololate.

Bob > wrote:

> I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
> the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own.

I think you are making a mistake by eliminating everything that will
theoretically go well with chocolate. Chocolate requires something that
does have a strong flavour of its own and can stand up to it, as far as
I'm concerned. Tawny port (10-year-old and above) will go well with
chocolate, as will a good Banyuls, Malmsey or Bual Madeira, or the
Hungarian Tokáji Aszú (5-6 puttonyos). Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines
can sometimes match bitter chocolate surprisingly well. Try also a good
Asti Spumante or, better yet, a good sparkling Moscato d'Asti. The
latter two are usually light and low in alcohol. 5-6 puttonyos Tokáji
is low-alcohol, too.

Still, I would say that chocolate and any of those wines should be
served separately...

Victor

Victor Sack wrote:
> Bob > wrote:
>
>
>>I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will complement
>>the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own.
>
>
> I think you are making a mistake by eliminating everything that will
> theoretically go well with chocolate. Chocolate requires something that
> does have a strong flavour of its own and can stand up to it, as far as
> I'm concerned. Tawny port (10-year-old and above) will go well with
> chocolate, as will a good Banyuls, Malmsey or Bual Madeira, or the
> Hungarian Tokáji Aszú (5-6 puttonyos). Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines
> can sometimes match bitter chocolate surprisingly well. Try also a good
> Asti Spumante or, better yet, a good sparkling Moscato d'Asti. The
> latter two are usually light and low in alcohol. 5-6 puttonyos Tokáji
> is low-alcohol, too.
>
> Still, I would say that chocolate and any of those wines should be
> served separately...
>
> Victor


I was joking in my previous message about lite beer, but how about a
Belgian abbey ale, or an oatmeal stout?

Best regards,
Bob

gourmet coffee, of course. The best!




smithfarms.com
Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee
& other Great Stuff

gourmet coffee, of course. The best!




smithfarms.com
Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee
& other Great Stuff

On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 04:40:50 GMT, smithfarms pure kona
> wrote:

> gourmet coffee, of course. The best!
>
Since I didn't see the beginning of this thread... I thought
had surely someone had mentioned coffee before this. If
coffee overwhelms the chocolate, then that chocolate isn't
the "gourmet" item the poster thinks it is.

:)

sf
Practice safe eating - always use condiments

On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 06:55:55 GMT, sf > wrote:

>On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 04:40:50 GMT, smithfarms pure kona
> wrote:
>
>> gourmet coffee, of course. The best!
>>
>Since I didn't see the beginning of this thread... I thought
>had surely someone had mentioned coffee before this. If
>coffee overwhelms the chocolate, then that chocolate isn't
>the "gourmet" item the poster thinks it is.
>
>:)
>
>sf
>Practice safe eating - always use condiments

The coffee I am drinking right now has chocolate qualities. I have a
chocolate fancier friend and she has served exactly my coffee for her
chocolate tasting. My Kona is good with chocolate.
aloha,
Thunder
smithfarms.com
Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee
& other Great Stuff

Why not have coffee, red wine, and milk ? I'd prefer a good Zin, such
as Storybook Mountain's Eastern Exposure, but I don't pretend that
eveyone else should have the same opinion. Others might suggest a
Banyuls, but that can be bit on the alcoholic side for your needs. And
yes, tannic red wines can be a headache trigger. It is for me, and I
like red wine. Moderation and rehydration are key. And worrying about
it only makes it worse.

Dean G.

at Sun, 19 Dec 2004 15:16:48 GMT in
>,
(Bob) wrote :

>My sister sent me a sampler box of bittersweet chocolate, and I'm
>thinking of having a small chocolate-tasting party. (see
>http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/amedei.html and look at the "I
>Cru" Origin Sampler Box)
>
>I'm a bit stumped on what to drink. I want something which will
>complement the chocolate but not have a strong flavor of its own. I'm
>thinking along the lines of apricot nectar, cran-cherry juice, or milk,
>but none of them seem quite right either. Coffee seems like it would be
>too strongly-flavored, and I don't care for tea with chocolate. My
>sister suggested port, but I'm not real enthusiastic about the idea.
>I'm not particularly averse to alcohol, but since we'll be having at
>least six sips, I'd rather not have anything *too* alcoholic. Red wine
>would be a possibility, but one of my guests suspects that it's a
>migraine trigger for her (though chocolate is not).
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Bob
>
>

The very best solution is not to drink anything at all, at least, nothing
drunk specifically for the purposes of being its own flavour.

However, if you make some very soupy hominy grits or polenta, served warm
(and known as atole), this is an excellent way to clear the palate between
chocolates, important when you're tasting several, highly characterised,
chocolates such as the i Cru collection. You don't want the flavour of one
to interfere with the next.

If you feel you must have a drink to complement the chocolates, here's what
I'd recommend.

Avoid anything alcoholic as it doesn't generally work well with chocolate
and tends to mask the flavours, anyway.

Now, the best thing would be to pair your beverage with the specific
chocolate being tasted. At least IMHO, the best pairings would be:

Venezuela : a demitasse of half-and-half
Trinidad : raspberry juice
Grenada : ribena or other currant juice.
Jamaica : a mild coffee (appropriately, Blue Mountain would be excellent)
Madagascar : lemonade
Ecuador : tomato juice

However, of course this would seem incredibly bizarre (such a wierd
assortment of beverages, and why so many) and probably a little too
"nouvelle-cuisine" for a lot of people. So for the sake of practicality and
not getting puzzled expressions, it's best to reduce it to one beverage. My
suggestion, in that case, would be a blackberry milkshake. This will go
well with most of the chocolates and, provided it's not too heavily loaded
with blackberries or sugar, won't overwhelm the chocolate, either.

--
Alex Rast

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