Improbable Pairing! Beer and Ice Cream!

Vive La France!

France may be famous for viniculture and wine making – but we NC Beer Explorers sought and found foamy pints and fellow “Beer Bros” as we recently traveled from Paris through Normandy along the Seine River. All we had to do was locate some popular taprooms along our path and start a conversation – and the beer did the rest. We met some friendly people and enjoyed some amazing brews, sharing our love of beer with whomever we encountered.

In particular, we met our new BBB (Bulgarian Beer Bro) Evtim “Tim” Stoyanov, who led us to discover one of the most farfetched and interesting beer-and-food pairings ever — beer with ice cream! Yes, it sounds kind of wacky, and we were certainly skeptical at first. But thanks to Tim, we tried it – and we liked it!

Beers We Tried

Dios de los Muertos - Funky Fluid, Warsaw, Poland; Hit the Road - La Débauche; Angoulême, France; Leffe Brune - Leffe, Dinant, Belgium; Köstritzer Schwarzbier - Bitburger Brewery Group, Bad Köstritz, Germany

Important NC Beer Explorer Tip: When consuming alcohol, always have a designated driver. Be safe out there, friends! Follow these simple tips for safer consumption.

The Road to Rouen

We began our exploration by visiting L' Antre Du Malt Craft Beer Pub in Rouen, Normandy (interestingly enough, it’s located on Place Martin Luther King). The day was perfect for beers on the patio, with sunshiny skies and gentle breezes. We were grateful, since the weather up to that point had been on the windy and chilly side.

The bartender spoke our language fluently – that is, the international language of beer. We picked out a few pours to try, and our favorites of the day were Dios de los Muertos by Funky Fluid and Hit the Road by La Débauche Brasserie and Brewing (see Tasting Notes below). We documented our afternoon camaraderie with several photos.

Rebecca shares a toast with Evtim at L' Antre Du Malt Craft Beer Pub in Rouen, France (Hit the Road Imperial Stout).

Beer AND Dessert!

As we say in America, our BBB Tim “wears many hats.” His family owns a highly regarded restaurant in Solzopol, Bulgaria, called Albatross that specializes in local seafood. When we crossed paths, he was also working on board our cruise ship as a steward. One evening, I asked him for some tips about the best taprooms and craft beer along our route, and voilà! We had found a beer bro!

Tim helped us navigate the way to L’Antre du Malt, and we all hung out for a bit, enjoying the weather on the pub patio. When he shared his experience with ice cream and beer pairing, we hoped we’d have an opportunity at some point to try it out for ourselves. As luck would have it, the next day, ice cream sundaes were on the dessert menu, and to our surprise, Tim presented us with a couple of different dark beers, and so we had a chance to experience this interesting combination for ourselves.

Like many Americans, I have certainly savored a root beer float, made with that sweet carbonated soft drink and a fat scoop of vanilla ice cream. This was not that – but it was still wonderful! We tried a bite of ice cream and then had a sip of beer – the effect was fascinating! The vanilla in the ice cream popped (especially with the schwarzbier) ! The ice cream brightened the flavor of the dark beer the way that milk brightens coffee. It was surprisingly good!

Tim had mentioned that his friends at Beer Bastards Brewing (Burgas, Bulgaria) had done some experimentation with beer ice cream. We’ve since learned that U.S. craft brewers have also experimented with ice cream, as this article from CraftBeer.com describes.

Bottom line: there are beer explorers everywhere, just waiting to spill some suds and share some stories. All you have to do is hop on the beer wagon and see where it takes you – it may even take you to the ice cream shop. 🍦

Fun times with our BBB (Bulgarian Beer Bro) Tim.

L'Antre du Malt is a fantastic taproom and pub in Rouen, Normandy (France).

NCBE's Beer Tasting Notes

• Dios de los Muertos - Funky Fluid; Warsaw, Poland

  • Style: New England IPA

  • ABV: 6.6%

  • Color: pale yellow, cloudy, light foam

  • Aroma: tropical, citrus

  • Taste: pineapple, grapefruit, mango, lemon

  • Mouthfeel: pillowy

  • Aftertaste: short, lightly bitter

  • Overall: very drinkable, crisp, refreshing

• Hit the Road - La Débauche; Angoulême, France

  • Style: Rice Imperial Stout with Spices & Herbs, Aged in cognac barrels

  • ABV: 12%

  • Color: black, thick foam

  • Aroma: spice, coffee, wood

  • Taste: cocoa, jalapeno, lime, lemongrass, wood, spices

  • Mouthfeel: full, round

  • Aftertaste: lingering, sherry-like

  • Overall: delicious, complex, indulgent

• Leffe Brune - Leffe; Dinant, Belgium

  • Style: Belgian abbey beer

  • ABV: 6.5 %

  • Color: dark brown, foamy beige head

  • Aroma: roasted malt, fruity

  • Taste: caramel, light bitterness, sweet

  • Mouthfeel: soft, creamy

  • Aftertaste: bitter-sweet, balanced

  • Overall: delicious, very drinkable

• Köstritzer Schwarzbier - Bitburger Brewery Group, Bad Köstritz, Germany

  • Style: dark lager

  • ABV: 4.8%

  • Color: black, tan head

  • Aroma: roasted malt, dark honey, and fresh bread

  • Taste: sweet malt, dark chocolate, roasted chestnuts, fig

  • Mouthfeel: surprisingly light

  • Aftertaste: light, spicey

  • Overall: good example of the style

What improbable beer and food pairings have you discovered?