The Best Boozy Spirits To Pair With Your Halloween Candy
Once Starbucks' famed seasonal pumpkin spice latte has made its annual return and a crisp fall chill is in the air, it's time to start thinking about the wonderful candy-filled festivities of Halloween. While trick-or-treating is usually reserved for kids, that doesn't mean that adults can't enjoy the peak of candy season just as much — and what better way to celebrate Halloween than to pair your favorite sweet treat with the perfect drink?
So, go ahead and grab a few pieces from your kid's candy bucket (no judgments here), throw your feet up, and pour yourself a glass. As it turns out, pairing some of America's most popular Halloween candies with the best adult beverages just comes down to which drinks will best enhance or cut some of that candy sweetness.
To start, it's fairly common knowledge that chocolate and wine go together, and for the fruity and sour candies, you can always reach for a hard seltzer or lemonade. But what in the world do you drink with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and candy corn?
Pairings for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Reese's cups are some of the most popular candies given out on Halloween, but the peanut butter flavor of this chocolate can sometimes limit what types of alcohol go well with it. Speaking with Whisky Advocate, bartender-turned-Bruichladdich-brand-ambassador Devin Vilardi recommends unpeated single malt scotch, especially one that is distilled using chocolate malt (which are toasted malted grains that take on cocoa-like notes). For a lower ABV pairing, consider the concentrated raisin and prune flavors of oloroso sherry.
This is also where the rich flavor of a classic Irish stout comes into play. Reese's cups pair perfectly with a nice glass of Guinness because the intense bitter flavor of this coffee-like beer perfectly balances the sweetness of the velvety chocolate and smooth peanut butter. If you aren't a stout fan, you can instead lean into the decadent chocolate flavors of a nice porter. There are plenty of breweries that even make peanut butter-flavored porters that will definitely pair well with Reese's. On the slightly lighter side, ciders aged in whiskey barrels will take on some woodiness, and this fuller taste can match peanut butter's nuttiness.
If you are looking for a full-on cocktail, try out the classic Brandy Alexander. It's basically a dessert in a glass and is made with cognac, cream, creme de cacao, and nutmeg.
Candy corn combinations
Many people like to hate on candy corn for being cloying and having a gritty texture, yet that doesn't seem to stop anyone from eating at least a few kernels. So, if you're one of those people who "doesn't like" candy corn but eats it anyway, what can you pair with it to temper the sweetness? One answer is malty beer. This is because brews like märzens, festbier, and Belgian ales all have the perfect strong, rich, and refreshing flavors to help balance out the saccharine faux-vegetable. Plus, the Oktoberfest beers have the added benefit of being seasonal. If you're a bourbon fan, another answer is to look for something with a higher proof and underpinnings of vanilla, like Old Forester 1897 or Old Bardstown Estate Bottled.
On the other hand, what if you actually like this classic Halloween candy? To enhance the creamy, sweet flavor of candy corn, go for a chardonnay. Chardonnay is an ideal choice to complement candy corn because it often has a deep, buttery-sweet profile. Furthermore, if you are a candy corn lover in search of a Halloween-themed cocktail, then look no further than the candy corn cooler, which is made with pineapple vodka, orange sherbert, pineapple juice, simple syrup, and milk. It's poured in two parts to create a layered effect that mimics the eponymous treat.