As a Charleston, SC native who grew up in a commercial fishing family, simple Southern life, weekends and summers in the saltwater, and immersion in great food and surroundings was always in Ben‘s blood. Then, after high school, he enlisted in the US Air Force and began to see all that the world had to offer, while staying grounded to his roots of good food and good times shared with friends and family. Ben has spent years throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and all over the US, enjoying great experiences all the way and honing his taste for great experiences, food, beer, bourbon, and cigars.
Now, after 21 years in the Air Force and the beginning of a second career in Huntsville with his wife and kids, he is searching out the best the Tennessee valley has to offer with its burgeoning craft beer and alcohol scene. He is also big into running, kayaking, hiking, and giving back to the community with veteran groups like Team Red, White, and Blue. Bringing in the education of his travel, southern roots, and love for exploring, Ben is here to share his discoveries of the area and his knowledge of his passions.
A Pairing Guide: Huntsville Beers and Cookies

*Disclaimer* due to copyrights on the cookie names and organization, the names of the group and specific cookies have been changed…but I think we all know who we are talking about here
It is the most wonderful time of the year.
No, I’m not delusional and thinking it is the Holiday Season…I’m talking about the time of year when those green-vested destroyers of New Year’s resolutions come strolling through the neighborhood peddling their boxes of sweet, delicious, baked treats.
Yes, cookie season is upon us, and while beer may not be the first beverage that comes to mind to accompany these delicious treats, it shouldn’t be disregarded. Beer is quickly becoming as popular as (maybe even more popular than) wine as a way to compliment good food, thanks to the different styles and flavors growing every day with the prevalence of breweries and craft beer in every community
There is no shortage of beer variety in Huntsville, and with many of the Rocket City’s many breweries pushing the envelope on flavor profiles, you don’t have to look very far to find some exciting pairings to go with your favorite treats from your favorite young ladies. In service to the community, I procured a few boxes of my own and suffered through eating them and drinking beer to bring you these pairings. Take them, or go out and create your own, but before you venture off into creating your own pairings, here are couple of notes:
- Look for complimenting strength of flavors. Cookies with more dominant flavors can handle a more assertive beer, where more subtle cookies will work better with a lighter beer.
- Look for similar and complimenting flavors. A cookie with citrus or tartness should get a beer that is brighter to back it up. You can also look for classic flavor combos like peanut butter and chocolate, or citrus and fruit.
- Be careful with higher ABV beers, as they can sometimes burn out your palette.
- Use this as a way to explore new beer styles. Where you may not necessarily order a particular beer to sip on its own, having something to match it to may help inspire a new taste.
Shortbreads
With their light and biscuity profile, this more subtle cookie can be easy to overpower, so seek out a similar-natured beer. I went after the Rocket Republic Vapor Trails cream ale. A style that takes its name from its milky-soft head, the honey-sweetness and light-grained goodness of this beer, combined with its smooth and creamy feel provide a good backing to this staple cookie. Also consider Yellowhammer T-Minus Kolsch or Mad Malts Banana Bread Hefeweizen…both lighter beers with personality but enough of the breadiness to compliment the shortbread.

Lemon-iced
Citrusy and tart, this cookie begs for something light and refreshing to go alongside it. I jumped in with a juicy and more citrus-centric beer with the Yellowhammer Cheatin’ Heart IPA. Not as piney or bitter as many Pale Ale variants, the lighter alcohol content combined with brighter fruit notes really helps compliment the tartness of the lemon from the cookie. Also consider the Island Thai’mmm rice lager from Chandler’s Ford. The lightness of the beer with notes of herbs, lemongrass, and cherry begs for a tart and sweet snack to accompany it. A fruited sour or gose would work well too, such as Fractal’s Guava Mango.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Chocolate Mint Cookies
As a Charleston, SC native who grew up in a commercial fishing family, simple Southern life, weekends and summers in the saltwater, and immersion in great food and surroundings was always in Ben‘s blood. Then, after high school, he enlisted in the US Air Force and began to see all that the world had to offer, while staying grounded to his roots of good food and good times shared with friends and family. Ben has spent years throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and all over the US, enjoying great experiences all the way and honing his taste for great experiences, food, beer, bourbon, and cigars.
Now, after 21 years in the Air Force and the beginning of a second career in Huntsville with his wife and kids, he is searching out the best the Tennessee valley has to offer with its burgeoning craft beer and alcohol scene. He is also big into running, kayaking, hiking, and giving back to the community with veteran groups like Team Red, White, and Blue. Bringing in the education of his travel, southern roots, and love for exploring, Ben is here to share his discoveries of the area and his knowledge of his passions.
Warm up to the Dark Side (of beer)

This time of year always brings the coldest weather, which means we get to enjoy those things that help combat the chill; Holidays full of great food and desserts, campfires, and relaxing evenings trying to stay warm.
The “winter season” of beer is no different. This is the time of year where stouts, porters, imperial ales, bourbon-barrel-aged, and festive beers that carry notes of pumpkin spice, clove, molasses, pine. The beers of winter are full of chocolate, coffee, caramel, nuttiness, maltiness, and richness that you expect from a great dessert, warm espresso or cappuccino, or a fireside s’more.

And while those are all flavors we see and love in many different forms this time of year, many folks that I have talked to about beer can sometimes be turned off by these beers. Whether it is the thicker mouthfeel, the higher ABV (which can lead to a booziness many people find unappealing), or even just the sheer unfamiliarity that is intimidating, some beer drinkers just are not drawn to the darker beers.
The fact is that the darker beer styles are far less mainstream, constituting roughly ⅓ of National beer sales on average. Not that there’s anything wrong with a solid IPA, Amber, Kolsch, or Lager, but with so many great beers out there and Huntsville breweries pumping out many of them, there is no reason to take advantage of the AMAZING dark beers out in the Rocket City.

Here’s a few tips:
- When getting a flight have your server put them in an order that will allow a natural flavor progression, finishing with the stronger of the samples.
- Make sure they are served in snifter glasses. These funnel in at the top and concentrate the nose of the flavor to make the experience even more amazing.
- Let your beer get to room temp. I know, warm beer in the US sounds like a sin, like using anything other than Duke’s mayo in the South, but it helps wake up so many flavors.
These are just a few recommendations, and I always advise folks to stop by any brewery or tap room (like Das Stahl, Corner Pour, Old Town Beer Exchange) and get recommendations of what is on tap, maybe even trying a flight.
Stout at the Devil (Straight to Ale Brewery) 7.8% ABV:
An oatmeal stout brewed with sea salt and caramel coffee, it is one of their staple beers available year round. Straight forward dark coffee with a caramel sweetness.
Baltic Porter (Fractal Brewing Project) 9.3% ABV:
A little heavier and boozier, the dark chocolate and nuttiness of this beer isn’t overpowered by the higher ABV. A really great creaminess to the mouthfeel as well.
Cosmic Cookie (Rocket Republic Brewing) 5.8% ABV:
An Oatmeal Brown Ale built off of natural cinnamon, real oats, and lots of warm, winter aromas. Essentially liquified oatmeal raisin cookies.
Midnight Special (Yellowhammer Brewing) 5.8% ABV:
Available year-round, German-style schwarzbier (litterally “black beer”), this dark lager uses imported German Munich malts and other darker grains to round out a coffee and nuttiness that drinks more like a light porter than a lager.
Imperial Breakfast Stout (Chandler’s Ford Brewing) 10.5% ABV:
Imperial stout collab with repurposed organic granola from food truck favorite Hippea Camper. Rounded out with tons of malted oats, silky and chocolatey with notes of raisins and figs.
Check out our other FOOD AND DRINK blogs
As a Charleston, SC native who grew up in a commercial fishing family, simple Southern life, weekends and summers in the saltwater, and immersion in great food and surroundings was always in Ben‘s blood. Then, after high school, he enlisted in the US Air Force and began to see all that the world had to offer, while staying grounded to his roots of good food and good times shared with friends and family. Ben has spent years throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and all over the US, enjoying great experiences all the way and honing his taste for great experiences, food, beer, bourbon, and cigars.
Now, after 21 years in the Air Force and the beginning of a second career in Huntsville with his wife and kids, he is searching out the best the Tennessee valley has to offer with its burgeoning craft beer and alcohol scene. He is also big into running, kayaking, hiking, and giving back to the community with veteran groups like Team Red, White, and Blue. Bringing in the education of his travel, southern roots, and love for exploring, Ben is here to share his discoveries of the area and his knowledge of his passions.
Warm up to the Dark Side (of beer)

This time of year always brings the coldest weather, which means we get to enjoy those things that help combat the chill; Holidays full of great food and desserts, campfires, and relaxing evenings trying to stay warm.
The “winter season” of beer is no different. This is the time of year where stouts, porters, imperial ales, bourbon-barrel-aged, and festive beers that carry notes of pumpkin spice, clove, molasses, pine. The beers of winter are full of chocolate, coffee, caramel, nuttiness, maltiness, and richness that you expect from a great dessert, warm espresso or cappuccino, or a fireside s’more.
And while those are all flavors we see and love in many different forms this time of year, many folks that I have talked to about beer can sometimes be turned off by these beers. Whether it is the thicker mouthfeel, the higher ABV (which can lead to a booziness many people find unappealing), or even just the sheer unfamiliarity that is intimidating, some beer drinkers just are not drawn to the darker beers.
The fact is that the darker beer styles are far less mainstream, constituting roughly ⅓ of National beer sales on average. Not that there’s anything wrong with a solid IPA, Amber, Kolsch, or Lager, but with so many great beers out there and Huntsville breweries pumping out many of them, there is no reason to take advantage of the AMAZING dark beers out in the Rocket City.
Here’s a few tips:
- When getting a flight have your server put them in an order that will allow a natural flavor progression, finishing with the stronger of the samples.
- Make sure they are served in snifter glasses. These funnel in at the top and concentrate the nose of the flavor to make the experience even more amazing.
- Let your beer get to room temp. I know, warm beer in the US sounds like a sin, like using anything other than Duke’s mayo in the South, but it helps wake up so many flavors.
These are just a few recommendations, and I always advise folks to stop by any brewery or tap room (like Das Stahl, Corner Pour, Old Town Beer Exchange) and get recommendations of what is on tap, maybe even trying a flight.
Stout at the Devil (Straight to Ale Brewery) 7.8% ABV:
An oatmeal stout brewed with sea salt and caramel coffee, it is one of their staple beers available year round. Straight forward dark coffee with a caramel sweetness.
Baltic Porter (Fractal Brewing Project) 9.3% ABV:
A little heavier and boozier, the dark chocolate and nuttiness of this beer isn’t overpowered by the higher ABV. A really great creaminess to the mouthfeel as well.
Cosmic Cookie (Rocket Republic Brewing) 5.8% ABV:
An Oatmeal Brown Ale built off of natural cinnamon, real oats, and lots of warm, winter aromas. Essentially liquified oatmeal raisin cookies.
Midnight Special (Yellowhammer Brewing) 5.8% ABV:
Available year-round, German-style schwarzbier (litterally “black beer”), this dark lager uses imported German Munich malts and other darker grains to round out a coffee and nuttiness that drinks more like a light porter than a lager.
Imperial Breakfast Stout (Chandler’s Ford Brewing) 10.5% ABV:
Imperial stout collab with repurposed organic granola from food truck favorite Hippea Camper. Rounded out with tons of malted oats, silky and chocolatey with notes of raisins and figs.
Check out our other FOOD AND DRINK blogs
As a Charleston, SC native who grew up in a commercial fishing family, simple Southern life, weekends and summers in the saltwater, and immersion in great food and surroundings was always in Ben‘s blood. Then, after high school, he enlisted in the US Air Force and began to see all that the world had to offer, while staying grounded to his roots of good food and good times shared with friends and family. Ben has spent years throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and all over the US, enjoying great experiences all the way and honing his taste for great experiences, food, beer, bourbon, and cigars.
Now, after 21 years in the Air Force and the beginning of a second career in Huntsville with his wife and kids, he is searching out the best the Tennessee valley has to offer with its burgeoning craft beer and alcohol scene. He is also big into running, kayaking, hiking, and giving back to the community with veteran groups like Team Red, White, and Blue. Bringing in the education of his travel, southern roots, and love for exploring, Ben is here to share his discoveries of the area and his knowledge of his passions.