These Colorful Chocolate Candies Are One Of The Best Unexpected Beer Pairings

Pizza and beer are a match made in heaven, and they often get the headlines when it comes to pairing suds with food, but folks are missing out on other combinations. There's no shortage of people recommending specific lagers and ales to pair with savory dishes, but what about sweets? Look no further than Guinness with ice cream as proof that beer and sweets don't just work — they're delightful. Candy isn't generally thought of as something one would combine with beer, but we spoke with two experts who both indicated that, with the right type of brew, vibrant M&Ms (stamped with the little "m," of course) make for a fantastic marriage.

The key to enjoying M&Ms with beer is securing a cold one that will complement the sweet, chocolatey flavor in the candy. The owner and creative director of Singlecut, Rich Buceta, argued that, with plain M&Ms at least, folks can't go wrong doubling down on the candy's main attraction. His recommendation: "Stouts, as they impart chocolate flavors."

However, level 1 sommelier, level 1 cicerone, and owner of Betelgeuse Betelgeuse, Chris Cusack, noted that while you could go broke for chocolate, you could also allow other flavors in the beer to play a more impactful role. "Milk chocolate is sweet, fatty, and mild, so you want beers that either reinforce the chocolate or cut the sweetness," he said. "A slept on beer style for me are brown ales, which would be my first choice. After that, a Belgian dubble, where dark fruit adds dimension. And finally, a cream ale would let the candy shine."

We all know M&M candies come in more flavors than plain chocolate, and our experts took that into consideration. Buceta stuck to his guns, noting that flavors like pretzel, caramel, and mint would still be best with a roasty, full-bodied beer. "All are great with stouts or even dark lagers like a Schwarzbier, and even dark Mild Ales," he said. "Some Belgian styles that are darker and stronger are comparable (Dubbel, Tripel) too."

Cusack had a different opinion. He thought that each exclusive M&M variation would benefit by being paired with a beer that highlights the unique flavor in that specific candy. "Great pairings either echo flavors or create intentional contrast with texture playing an important role as well," he said.

For example, with caramel M&Ms, he suggested, "Amber ale/ESB — caramel on caramel." Same concept with reinforcing the peanut flavor in peanut M&Ms. "Brown ale — nutty malt." And we all know how tasty pairing cookies and milk is. "Cookies & Cream — milk stout," Cusack said. Standing his ground on combining like with like, Cusack said, "Peanut butter and jelly — fruited sour (raspberry in particular)."

Beyond just the profile of individual beers, Buceta and Cusack agreed that the temperature of the brew needs to be on point when sipping it with candy. "The warmer beer becomes, the less the bitterness appears and more the malt/sweetness becomes present," Buceta said. "So 'cellar' temps are preferable (approximately 52 degrees [Fahrenheit])." Cusack backed that notion, saying, "Serving beer at 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit (not ice cold) preserves flavor and aroma."