Your Easter guide to gin and chocolate pairings

The Easter weekend is upon us. It’s a chance to reflect on the holiday’s message of death and rebirth, embrace the new life brought by spring – and enjoy an Easter egg or three! While they may not seem like the most natural partners, gin and chocolate can make great bedfellows. We’ve rounded up a selection of suggested pairings for some popular chocolate styles and flavours.

Milk chocolate

To match the creamy sweetness of milk chocolate, we’d recommend a spicy, slightly citrusy gin – such as Opihr, AK’s Gin from Arbikie, or Bombay Sapphire’s new Sunset expression – to cut through that richness.

Dark chocolate

With the cocoa bitterness and dryness of dark chocolate, you can get away with something a little sweeter. Why not try a syrupy sloe gin, like Estonia’s Junimperium Sloe Gin or Sipsmith Sloe Gin?

White chocolate

Something with floral touches, like Bloom or Hendrick’s, would work to balance the creaminess of white chocolate, as would a slightly tart raspberry gin. Or, to amp up the creamy texture, you could try a potato spirit-based gin such as Chase Distillery’s GB Gin or Dingle Gin.

Orange chocolate

With a citrusy chocolate, you need a citrusy gin! There are plenty of options out there, from Tarquin’s Blood Orange Gin, to Silent Pool’s Rare Citrus and Marylebone’s Orange and Geranium Gin. A rich, orangey Old Tom gin, such as Gin Eva’s Artisanal Old Tom, could work well too.

Chocolate with red fruits

A good place to start here would be a red berry-infused or flavoured gin such as Mermaid Pink Gin, Masons of Yorkshire’s new special-edition Raspberry Gin, or – for something more indulgent – Tanqueray’s new Blackcurrant Royale gin.

Praline

To match a chocolate with a nut element – praline, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, etc. – a spice-forward gin would suit. Try Cotswolds Baharat Gin, Stranger & Sons from India or Japan’s Ki No Bi Gin.

Mint chocolate

It may sound odd at first, but we think a barrel-aged gin works well paired with a minty chocolate. Look for something that has been aged in ex-Bourbon barrels, such as Campfire Cask Aged Gin or New Riff Distilling’s Kentucky Wild Gin – their vanilla and caramel notes really pop with the menthol.

Chocolate with salt

Whether with a sprinkle of sea salt or a decadent salted caramel, dryness is the key to pairing here. Find a juniper-forward dry gin such as Gin Mare or BrewDog’s Lone Wolf Gin, or mix yourself a Dry Martini.

What’s your favourite gin and chocolate pairing? Let us know in the comments!

Looking for some new gins to sample? Check out global selection of tastings here.