Just like all the best TV series, I’m back for a Christmas special, but in truth what really tempted me was the shock of Adam’s statement that when it comes to pairing chocolate with cider: “Don’t even try”. I could hear the collective gasp of cider drinking chocolatiers and chocoholics the world over. Surely many of you enjoy these two wonderful tastes? I have been, but now, as I start to write this piece I find myself questioning everything I think I know about cider going with chocolate.

I’d be one of the first to admit that chocolate and apples are not the standard combination, you’ll know what I mean if you tried Cadbury’s random Milk Tray addition of the “Apple Crunch” [Ed: Google it and you’ll see the hatred] or share my anger around those supermarkets that commit Halloween sacrilege by covering apples in chocolate instead of toffee; it just breaks up and falls off. Yet, here I stand testifying that when apples are in liquid form, it’s a whole different story.

So, the basics are: you all know how cider comes in dry, medium and sweet right? Well, you just reverse that with the different types of chocolate. So dark chocolate with sweet cider, milk with medium and white chocolate with dry…if only it were that easy and if only cider came in three styles. 

In all seriousness, the concept is something that others have already been enjoying for some time. In Norway the idea of chocolate and cider is very much alive and well. Thomas Digervold of ‘Fest i kjeften’ (pronounced: fest ee heffanen) who has written a fantastic book on cider and food, did a cider swap with me a few years back. In the box were an assortment of delicious chocolate bars with all kinds of exciting additions like Gingerbread, Sugar Kelp, Brow Goats Cheese and Wild Autumn Berries to pair and devour with the equally delicious (and predominantly acid led/tannin devoid) ciders. Over here, Bignose and Beardy recently did a cider and chocolate pairing box with a local artisan chocolatier. Finally let’s not forget everyone’s favourite ‘made wine’ producer [Ed: who could that be?] who brought out a Chocolate Apple Cider, and it’s sold out. So either every BiB festival drank them dry or the collective heave caused them to recall the monster. 

I could go on all day about how I’m willing to die on this hill, but in the interest of time, let’s get down to business. You will notice that Perry doesn’t feature below at all, this is for two reasons; firstly I don’t drink it currently due to a sorbitol intolerance (Perry can have a lot of sorbitol), secondly I am not the Perry expert here, that is very much Adam’s wheelhouse, so I will leave it to him should he ever wish to renege on his previous statements. 

Dark Chocolate 

Dark chocolate is bitter and earthy and can produce some intense flavours especially if you’re heading north of 70% cocoa mass. I think in all cases here you want to find complimentary flavours when pairing dark chocolate with a cider. To compliment you want apple varieties that produce smooth, soft tannins and fruity notes, along with some residual sweetness. Smith-Hayne Orchards – Brown Snout 2021 will set you right which is 100% keeved, but has a cheeky 20% addition of Browns to add to the citrus-like acidity.

Alternatively you could pair with a cider that has creamy malolactic character to cut through the bitterness, something Méthode traditional with lots of aged lees character. The Gospel Green Brut 2016 was perfect back in March, but not sure there’s many of that vintage left. An alternative could be the Chalkdown Extra Lees Aged or Kentish Pip Brut SE.

On the other hand you could open something unctuously sweet and decadent, I’m thinking ice cider but not an acid-led one, you want sweetness and tannins here. Try Burrow Hill – Ice Cider which has a healthy quantity of bittersweet apples and is full of rich candied fruit and burnt sugar. Or if you’re feeling particularly Christmassy then Sandford Orchards – Figgy Pudding Ice Cider and all its winter spice, rich dried fruit and caramel is going to be marvellous with any dark chocolate you throw at it. 

Lastly and probably the best dark chocolate pairing of all is cider brandy or calvados. It needs to be aged, ideally to double figures so that some of the young fire has become a more mellow warmth. Pere Magloire VSOP Pays d’Auge is stunning and surprisingly affordable or if you want something from this side of the channel then Somerset Cider Brandy Co. – 10 year old or Alchemy would be equally delicious. 

The exception to note here is ‘After Eight Mints’ – forget everything I’ve just said above, cider does not go with mint chocolate and trust me I’ve tried it. 

Milk Chocolate

I don’t know about you, but later on in the evening when I’ve had a few ciders at home I get progressively more tempted to raid the cupboards for a bit of a milk chocolate fix. I drink predominantly dry cider so I wonder if my taste buds are just crying out for some sweet relief. What milk chocolate really likes is fruit and nuts, particularly hazelnuts and oranges. 

When you’re reaching for the Dairy Milk (or other brand milk chocolate bar), look out a Dabinett or Yarlington Mill cider, their flavours of orange and spice will enhance your experience substantially. My suggestions would be Little Pomona’s – Thick Cut which is a gorgeous manifestation of the variety, or Temple Cider’s – canned conditioned Yarlington Mill which has some feisty tannins too, that will bring a bit of bitterness back to your mouthful. Both of these work even better if allowed to breathe for a few minutes and the carbonation to dissipate somewhat. For Dabinett I would recommend Ross on Wye Cider and Perry’s Single Variety 500ml, or for extra indulgence their Raison d’Être 2021; it is a phenomenal blend that brings Bisquet and oak barrel to the party.

Now the cautions – If you’re feeling brave and want to double down on the flavours, you could swap out the Dairy Milk for that Terry’s Chocolate Orange, but I will warn you that the use of orange oil by Carambar & Co to flavour the chocolate does create an oily residue in the mouth that can clash with your cider of choice. This also applies to many American chocolates such as Hershey’s which uses cheaper vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter, creating a waxy texture that coats the mouth. Also, Reese’s; you don’t want a peanut butter cider combo in your mouth.

If it is nuts you’re after to combine with your chocolate, then there aren’t many “nutty” ciders apart from mainly your Egremont Russet, but it’s a different form of nuttiness and they can be very delicate, so I would caution against pairing with a bar of chocolate, rather a nice pear and chocolate tart or some chocolate-dipped florentines. 

I’ll also add a note of caution when it comes to those large festive tubs of Heroes, Celebrations, Quality Street, Roses, etc. There are too many other flavours going on to even begin to find a tongue dance partner for your chosen tipple. In summary, exercise caution with milk chocolate, some nice flavours to combine, but also some absolute disasters.

White Chocolate

White chocolate loves red berries and whilst it may not seem like an obvious flavour to come from apples, there are a couple of perfect pairings here. Firstly Nightingale’s – Fledgling No.4, which is a Pét-nat method cider made entirely from red love apples. The gorgeous red berry fruit and “zingy acidity” are going to both compliment and cut through the creaminess of the white chocolate. 

My second suggestion would have been The Newt’s Rosé, also made from Red Love apples, but from a quick scan of their website I can’t see it for sale anymore. Instead, if you’re feeling adventurous you could pick up a Foxwhelp, and immediately I can almost hear the nervous twitch I’ve just given a very small group of devoted fans. Young Foxwhelp has the crisp, fruity and tangy acidity to cut through the cocoa butter but also strawberries to compliment the cream. It won’t be for everyone and there may be a little too much acidity, but Ross on Wye Cider and Perry’s – 2022 C1 Foxwhelp (also Pét-nat) would be the perfect place to start. I think it would be delightful with a white chocolate cheesecake, but by all means try it with a Milkybar. 

Conclusion

Ok, so Adam did say in his piece that pairing with “grotesque quantities” was a no and I’m not really advocating for that. If you’re having a chocolate orange for breakfast or hogging a whole tub of celebrations to yourself this Christmas, then no matter the cider you’re drinking, you aren’t really going to taste it. Take your time though and enjoy in moderation and I think there are some marvellous flavour combinations to be had. I believe that cider can compliment your late night confection craving, your any-time-of-the-day chocolate indulgence, and even your cacao cacoethes (thank God for the thesaurus). There are so many nuances with this, as chocolate comes in many flavours, and in many cases already blended with fruit, nut or other flavour combinations. Far too many to cover in one article, but the important thing is to try and hope to find something that you enjoy tremendously. So I’ll leave you with a request to give it a go and please share any fantastic combinations you discover by tagging us on social media. Merry Christmas.