Baskin-Robbins Suggests Beer and Ice Cream Pairings

In honor of Father's Day (and the beer-shaped ice cream cake they've trotted out for the occasion), Baskin-Robbins partnered with All About Beer Magazine, to suggest ten popular ice cream flavors and beers that would pair well with them.

According to John Holl, the editor of All About Beer Magazine, they "looked to match complementary flavors and intensity, and coax out some nuances from both the beer and the ice cream."

Here are their recommended pairings, as well as an explanation of how each fits together:

- Mint Chocolate Chip with Coffee Porter or Stout -"The ale already has some cocoa and java flavors and it mixes nicely with the roast of the chocolate chips and the herbal, cool mint flavor of the ice cream."

- Peanut Butter N' Chocolate with Doppelbock - "Nutty and creamy, with an assertive chocolate base, the ice cream brings out the best in this malt-forward dark brown lager."

- Jamoca Almond Fudge with Blueberry Ale - "Brewers are taking the sweet, tangy, earthy blueberry and adding it to caramel-tinged ales, making it a perfect complement to this frozen coffee, nutty, chocolatey concoction. Lively fruit flavors pair wonderfully with the chocolate flavored ribbon."

- Watermelon Splash Ice with Gose - "Gose is brewed with wheat and salt and is predicted to be the beer of the summer, making it a perfect companion to the hot weather staple – watermelon. Pronounced "Gose-Uh," look for variations that already include cucumber, prickly pear, or yes, even watermelon flavors."

- Rocky Road with Foreign Extra Stout - "The stout has sweet chocolate, rich espresso and generic red berry flavors that party hard with the almond, marshmallow and deep chocolate of the ice cream. Rocky Road adds creaminess to the hearty beer and this combination makes for an excellent ice cream beer float."

- Pralines 'n Cream with a Pilsner or a Mango Ale - "The classic pilsner style, with sweet cereal-like malt takes the place of a cone when paired with this southern-style treat. Additionally, one of the most popular beer styles this summer is mango-flavored pale ales and India pale ales. The nuttiness and sweetness of the ice cream balances out some of the more assertive beer flavors, creating a delectable combination."

- Cherries Jubilee with Barleywine - "A barleywine coaxes out the rich cherry and rum flavor in this ice cream. Bittersweet and leather flavors emerge as well, begging for this combo to be enjoyed in dad’s favorite leather chair."

- Chocolate with Belgian Quad - "This beer is bursting with flavors that love chocolate. Two classics with great depth and rich sweetness that only get better with each lick and sip."

- Vanilla with Peach Lambic - "Sweet and creamy vanilla gets a boost from the lambic, which is fermented with peaches and aged in barrels. Slightly spicy and effervescent, the fruity character of the ale will act like a sauce for the ice cream. This lambic style helps to recreate the classic peaches and cream combination."

- Very Berry Strawberry with Hefeweizen - "It's the start of a fruit salad. Bright, vibrant strawberry mixes with the banana esters in the classic German Hefeweizen. The sweet berry will also help control the assertive spice bite of the clove flavor found in the beer and counter the acidity found in the lemon wedge often served as a garnish on the rim of the glass."

Images via Baskin-Robbins.