Chocolate and drink pairings from a Boston liquor store

The Wild Duck is a liquor store at 86 Massachusetts Ave in Boston, so we help with the drink and the snacks that go beside your chocolate, not the chocolate itself. Whether your bars, truffles or confections come from a Boston chocolatier or another confectioner, dark chocolate suits ripe red wine, bourbon or stout, milk chocolate suits sparkling wine or lighter whiskey, and white chocolate suits crisp bubbles or a fruity rosé. This guide explains why, and how to collect or order from us.

What drinks go with chocolate?

Match the sweetness and weight of the drink to the chocolate. The drink should be at least as sweet and as full as the chocolate, otherwise the chocolate makes it taste thin and sour.

Dark chocolate goes with ripe red wine, bourbon and stout. Milk chocolate goes with sparkling wine, sweet tawny-style wines and lighter whiskey. White chocolate goes with crisp bubbles or a fruity rosé.

At The Wild Duck in Boston we carry wine, liquor, beer and snacks under one roof. With more than 4,500 products and more than 700 brands in the store, you can choose the drink and the savoury plate in one visit, whether you walk in, collect an order or have it delivered. We also serve Cambridge and Brookline.

What is the difference between dark, milk and white chocolate?

The difference is mostly cocoa content. Dark chocolate has the most cocoa and the least sugar, milk chocolate adds milk solids and more sugar, and white chocolate contains cocoa butter but no cocoa solids.

Cocoa percentage matters more than the brand on the wrapper. A bar at 70 percent cocoa or higher is bitter and tannic, so it needs a drink with body and some fruit. A bar under 40 percent is sweet and creamy, so it needs acidity or bubbles to cut through it. The same rule applies to artisan bars from a chocolatier, which usually print the cocoa percentage on the wrapper.

Truffles and other confections follow the same logic, judged by their outer shell and their centre. A truffle is a ganache centre of chocolate and cream, often rolled in cocoa or coated in chocolate, so it is richer and softer than a bar of the same cocoa level. Viennese-style confections, which are creamy and sweet, behave like milk chocolate and want bubbles or acidity.

Which one suits your taste is a personal call, but the rule helps when you choose a drink. The more bitter the bar, the more fruit and body the drink needs. The sweeter and creamier the bar, the more freshness the drink needs.

Which red wine goes best with dark chocolate?

A full, fruity red wine is the safest match for dark chocolate. Look for ripe dark fruit and soft tannins, because cocoa exaggerates any harshness in a wine. A wine that tastes balanced on its own often tastes sharper next to a bitter bar. The same goes for a dark chocolate truffle, where the cream softens the cocoa but the bitterness remains.

Cabernet Sauvignon has blackcurrant and a firm structure that stands up to 70 percent cocoa. A red blend is often softer and rounder, which suits a first attempt. Italian red wines bring cherry and a savoury edge that suits chocolate with nuts or orange peel.

Pinot Noir is lighter and works better with milk chocolate than with very dark bars. If you are unsure, tell us what chocolate you have and we will point you to a bottle on our shelves.

Does bourbon or whiskey go with chocolate?

Yes. Bourbon pairs well with chocolate because it is aged in charred oak and often shows vanilla, caramel and toasted wood, which sit naturally beside cocoa. Serve it neat or with a small amount of water, and take a sip between pieces rather than with them.

By law, bourbon must be made from at least 51 percent corn and aged in new charred oak barrels. That oak is where much of the sweetness and spice comes from. A higher-rye bourbon adds pepper and works well with dark chocolate. A wheated bourbon is softer and suits milk chocolate.

Our cold weather bourbon bottles and whiskey shelf collections are places to look, and the wider whiskey section covers other styles. If you prefer smoke, Scotch pairs well with very dark chocolate.

Can you drink liqueur with chocolate?

Yes, and a liqueur is often the simplest way to serve chocolate as a dessert. Liqueurs are already sweet, so they do not clash with sugar the way a dry wine can. Sip a small glass beside a square of dark chocolate or a single truffle, or pour a little over ice cream.

Herbal liqueurs suit dark chocolate because the bitterness of the herbs echoes the bitterness of the cocoa. Orange liqueur is a classic partner for dark chocolate, and coffee liqueur suits milk chocolate.

You can also browse the liquers section for cream, coffee and orange styles.

What beer goes with chocolate?

Stout and porter are the usual answer for chocolate. Both are brewed with dark roasted malt, which gives coffee and cocoa flavours of its own. A stout beside dark chocolate tastes like two versions of the same idea, and the carbonation cleans the palate between bites.

A hoppy IPA is a poor match for most chocolate, because the bitterness of the hops adds to the bitterness of the cocoa. Fruit-forward beers are different: a raspberry or cherry style can work with dark chocolate in the way a fruity red wine does.

A clean lager is a reasonable choice if you are eating chocolate with salty snacks. Ask at the counter and we will help you choose from the beer we carry.

What goes with milk chocolate and white chocolate?

Sparkling wine is the best match for milk and white chocolate. The bubbles and acidity cut through the creaminess and keep the sweetness from becoming heavy. Choose a drier style if the chocolate is very sweet, because a sweet wine with sweet chocolate can taste flat. This also holds for creamy Viennese-style confections and milk chocolate truffles.

A fruity rosé also suits white chocolate, especially when it is served with strawberries or raspberries. Rosé has enough acidity to balance the cocoa butter and enough fruit to match the berries.

For a guest who does not drink alcohol, our non-alcoholic section offers an alternative that can be served in the same glass.

What snacks can you serve alongside chocolate and a drink?

Salty and spicy snacks balance a chocolate tasting, because they reset your palate between sweet pieces. A savoury plate also gives the evening some variety if you are serving more than one drink.

From our snacks section, you could put together Sliced Genoa and Danish Havarti W/Dill for something salty and creamy. Chica De Gallot Pepper Salsa and Willys Balck Bean Corn Salsa add spice, and Filthy Pepper and Filthy Onion round out a savoury board.

Salt and heat pair well with a lager, a stout or a dry sparkling wine, so the snacks above also help if your chocolate is on the sweeter side.

How do I pick a chocolate and drink pairing as a gift?

Start with the chocolate you plan to give, then choose a bottle by its cocoa level. A dark bar suits a bourbon or a full red, a milk chocolate box suits sparkling wine, and white chocolate suits rosé. A box of truffles from a chocolatier or confectioner follows the same rule, based on whether the centres are dark or milk.

We are a liquor store, so the bottle is the part we can supply. Our holiday gift guide is a place to look for wine, spirits and beer ideas, and gift cards are available if you would rather let the recipient choose.

If you are choosing for a host or for a holiday, tell us the chocolate you have chosen and who it is for, and we will suggest a bottle from the shelves.

Are you open now, and how do I collect or order?

The Wild Duck is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM and on Sunday from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM at 86 Massachusetts Ave, Boston. Check the day and time before you travel.

Besides walking in, we offer in-store pickup, delivery and shipping. Pickup hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Delivery hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:30 AM to 10:30 PM and Sunday from 10:30 AM to 10:30 PM.

We also serve Cambridge and Brookline, so you can pair a bottle with chocolate bought in either town, and you can read about delivery in Boston. Our Google rating is above 4.5 out of 5 from more than 60 reviews.