Celebrating Valentine's Day—A Craft Beer and Chocolate Pairing at Dialogue Brewing

Checking in from Dialogue Brewing—one of my favorite Albuquerque breweries!

Today I'm celebrating Valentine's Day with my human! She's enjoying a craft beer and chocolate pairing at the pet-friendly Dialogue Brewing near downtown Albuquerque.

Because chocolate and beer is off limits for pups, my mom packed my favorite squeaky toy and chicken strip treats so I could enjoy the festivities as well! My Air Buggy for Dog gives me a great vantage point from which to observe people in their natural habitat.

Between getting belly rubs and having my picture taken, I noticed my human partaking in a four-course pairing of local craft beers from Dialogue Brewing and handmade, gourmet chocolates from Chocolate Dude in Albuquerque's Historic Nob Hill district.

She started with the Centennial IPA and a "Mango y Tajin" truffle—a tasteful blend of the mango fruit and floral/perfumey centennial hops played together to create new and complex flavors, and the bitterness of the hops accentuates the light tajin spice burn to a greater intensity.

A fine selection of gourmet chocolates expertly paired with delicious craft brews!

Next up was the Lloyds Extra Gloves dark winter sour beer with Chocolate Dude's exclusive Chupacabra, a blend of peanut butter and creamy white chocolate, then swirled with more chocolate. The acidity of the Lloyds cut through the fat of the Chupacabra's chocolate and peanut butter letting one experience those flavors followed by a finish of light tart cherries and wet tobacco.

Chcocolate Dude's Mango y Tajin Truffle

For our third course, a Dark American Sour was coupled with a classic and quite large Sea Salt Caramel. My human said that the sour and salty notes at the beginning with the carbonation cleansing the palate making it possible to taste the augmented caramel and malt flavors.

The fourth course was a Dialogue Brewing Raspberry Sour paired with a dark chocolate-covered strawberry from Chocolate Dude. The light sweetness of the berries gives way to the creamy yet bold cacao-filled chocolate, allowing the sensation of sweetness followed closely by a pleasant acidity. My human brought some peanut butter and strawberries for me so I could enjoy the tasting as well.

Now off for a nice evening walk to wrap up the perfect Valentine's Day!