What goes better than pretzels and beer? Nothing! I recently found out about Pop Daddy Pretzels and I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to normal pretzels. They have such a wide variety of flavors that I could never run out of options. The bag says "finger licking goodness" and they are so right! Just like make sure you wash your hands first if this is the route you want to go down, haha! If you're interested in trying out these pairings for yourself, Pop Daddy is available on Amazon and are growing their in store distribution all the time! Let me know what you think of the pairings if you try them! :)
Garlic Parmesan & West Coast IPA
Michigan Local: Crooked Tree IPA from Dark Horse Brewing
My pick: Fashion Mullet from Lupulin Brewing
Available Nationwide: Torpedo Extra IPA from Sierra Nevada
These pretzels taste exactly like the breadsticks from your local pizza shop. I would honestly eat these with pizza and not miss the breadsticks one bit. I wanted to pick something with a bitter finish to pair with these because the decadent flavor of parmesan can conquer the most bitter of IPAs. So I went for the only west coast IPA that was in my fridge at the moment, Fashion Mullet from Lupulin. It's the perfect intersection of a west and east coast IPA. It does a great job cutting the powerful garlic and parmesan flavor, almost like a pallet cleanser.
Cinnamon Sugar & Porter
Michigan Local: Distorter
My pick: Mudpuppy Porter from Central Waters Brewing
Available Nationwide: Black Butte Porter from Deschutes
This pairing was made in heaven. The cinnamon sugar pretzels are absolutely caked with the glorious mixture, leaving a delightful treat on your fingers (much better than Cheeto dust IMO). I paired them with a Wisconsin classic, the Mudpuppy porter from Central Waters. The porter adds a nice roasty, slightly bitter flavor to complement the sweet cinnamon goodness of the pretzel. I would definitely do this pairing as a dessert any day!
Dill Pickle & Sour
Michigan Local: Bam Biere from Jolly Pumpkin
My pick: Resting Peach Face from Urban Brew Labs
Available Nationwide: Sour Monkey from Victory Brewing
You guys...these pretzels taste exactly like dill pickles! Its absolutely wild! If you love dill pickles, you need to go get these pretzels ASAP! I wasn't quite sure how to pair these. I didn't want to be lame and do a lager or something that would go with literally any type of pretzel so I went a bit crazy. Hear me out, dill pickle and a sour. Personally, I paired it with Resting Peach Face from Urban Brew Labs and loved it. The roomie wasn't crazy about the peach flavor with dill but loved the sour. Sooooo maybe try a sour without a fruit addition? I loved the peach though so try both and tell me who wins!
Hot Sauce & Hazy IPA
Michigan Local: M-43 from Old Nation Brewing
My pick: Life in the Clouds from Collective Arts Brewing
Available Nationwide: Hazy Little Thing from Sierra Nevada
I'm going to start off by saying that these pretzels taste exactly like hot sauce without being overly spicy. I have a very child like tolerance for spice and I can handle these so literally anyone will be fine. If you're looking for a spice that is going to make you cry, these aren't it. In my opinion, that's a good thing! Anyways, I paired these with a Life in the Clouds from Collective Arts Brewing. The citrus flavor of the hazy IPA was the perfect complement to the hot sauce flavor. I'm a fan.
Peppercorn Ranch & White Ale
Michigan Local: Bright White from Bells Brewing
My pick: Farmer's Daughter from Lucette Brewing
Available Nationwide: Allagash White
Yum yum yum! I absolutely love ranch flavored chips, pretzels, popcorn....you name it, I love it! Maybe its the Midwesterner in me but I just cant shake my love of ranch flavored snack foods. I love that they added a bit of extra peppercorn to these as it adds a fun complexity that ranch otherwise lacks. I paired these with Farmers Daughter, a white ale from Lucette Brewing. The way that the ranch and coriander play off of each other is beautiful. Such a fun flavor profile that neither the pretzels or beer alone can provide.
Yellow Mustard & Hefeweizen
Michigan Local: The Hef from Frankenmuth Brewing
My pick: Hefeweizen from Chippewa Falls Brewing
Available Nationwide: Hefe Weissbier Weihenstaphen
What a classic pairing...I feel like I should be in Germany eating a soft pretzel with mustard and sipping on the most authentic hefeweizen. Like the other pretzel flavors, they nailed the yellow mustard. The pretzels are even dressed in a light yellow coating. The delicate banana and clove flavor of the hefeweizen pairs nicely with the tangy yellow mustard. This one is a must try.