Everyone knows that Valentine’s Day is traditionally a day for cards, chocolates and roses. Now with all the emergence of craft beer why not start a new tradition? There are some fantastic beers out there that will help you make any ones Valentine’s Day memorable.

If your sweetheart is a lover of chocolate then Breckenridge Brewing (Colorado) has the beer for him/her. Their newly released 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout is a chocolate lovers dream. Brewed with chocolate from Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, this stout is full of rich chocolate notes with hints of dark fruit. A coffee colored brew with an ABV of 7.2 (hence the name), is a terrific beer to pair with desert. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’s an amazing desert in itself!

Rogue Brewing from Oregon has been at the forefront of craft beer since the late 80’s/early 90’s. Since 2001 they have released a chocolate stout every Valentine’s Day (this year even has a special label). Ebony in color, this stout has a nice blend of oat, chocolate malt and chocolate balanced with the perfect amount of hops for a bittersweet finish. It also pairs nicely with beef for your Valentine’s Day main course.

Closer to home, Baltimore’s DuClaw brewery has released their excellent chocolate raspberry stout called Naked Fish. Gourmet chocolate raspberry coffee is used to give this brew a unique flavor and aroma. Naked Fish is a dark medium bodied stout which has a dry finish with the chocolate and coffee tones tempered by the sweetness of the raspberry.

So as you can see the FTD and Russell Stover has nothing on craft brewers. These beers are great to give as gifts and sure to elicit the smile of gratitude. You may even hear the always gratifying response, “That’s just what I wanted?” And to that I say “Cheers!”