Now through February 28, Girl Scouts in Arizona are participating in the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world: The Girl Scout Cookie Program. Need a reason to splurge on a few extra boxes this year (available here)? We talked to some of Arizona’s top brewers, one local hard kombucha maker and a former Girl Scout who know owns a beer and wine bar, each of whom offered up their perfect pairings.
Huss Brewing Co.
Low-Lo Hazy IPA + Lemon-Ups: Inspirational cookies deserve an inspirational beer! Low Lo is a Low-Calorie (109 calories) Local Hazy IPA with lots of citrus notes that complement the crispy lemon cookies.
Papago Orange Blossom + Thin Mints: Let’s get wild! Papago Orange Blossom is a surprisingly perfect beer. The hints of mandarin and citrus in the beer enhance the mint and the creamy vanilla finish of the beer is a perfect ending.
Scottsdale Blond + Trefoils: A classic, simple cookie like Trefoils calls for a clean and simple beer and that beer is our ever-popular Scottsdale Blonde. This German-style Kolsch has a well-balanced flavor a very clean slightly sweet finish.
Koffee Kolsch + S’mores: This extraordinary blonde ale will fool your eyes but not your mouth, since it packs a surprising hazelnut and caramel coffee punch. Plus, it pairs nicely with the creamy marshmallow and chocolate.
PHX Beer Co.
IPA + Lemon-Ups: PHX Beer Co.’s signature IPA showcases the honeydew, strawberry and blackberry characteristics of Huell Melon and Pacific Gem Hops. The Lemon-Ups help further compliment and bring out the citrus based hops within the IPA for a pairing that was truly meant to be.
Morenci Copper Ale + Samoas: The caramel notes in Morenci Copper Ale make this pairing a homerun. The brew is malt forward with a toasty flavor profile that has subtle hints of melon and pine hops. The sweet taste of coconut in the Samoas further help to pull the two together.
Iron Horse Porter + Tagalongs: Brewed with chocolate malt to give a roasted but sweet finish, this Imperial Porter is the perfect pairing with Tagalongs. The sweet layers of creamy peanut butter bring out the chocolate notes of the porter.
Mother Road
Muscles From Brussels Belgian Strong Golden Ale + Trefoil: The buttery sweetness of the Trefoil pairs well with this Belgian Strong Golden Ale. The hints of clove, a touch of banana and sweet finish of Muscles From Brussels lend themselves well to this shortbread cookie without overpowering it’s classic flavor.
Daily Driver Low Octane IPA + Samoas: This surprising pair will have you dreaming of a tropical oasis. The hop derived citrus and lime notes of Daily Driver compliment the prominent coconut flavors of the crowd pleasing Samoas.
Lost Highway Double Black IPA + Thin Mints: The familiar mint sweetness of the Thin Mint cuts down the bitterness of this Double Black IPA to showcase the roasty, coffee aspects of this classic Mother Road Brewing Company ale. The subtle aroma of orange zest in Lost Highway enhances the dark chocolate in the Thin Mint Cookie.
9th Anniversary Belgian Style Tripel + Toffee-tastics: Our Belgian style Tripel has a slightly sweet malt base, with white wine characteristics from the extra special hops. These flavors pair perfectly with the buttery richness of the Toffee-tastics cookie; one bite of cookie followed by a long sip of tripel will melt in your mouth and heart! The crisp toffee bits add a crunch and boosts the malty backbone of the beer, enhancing the overall sensory experience.
Juan Valdez Burro Brown Ale + Samoas: What better way to enjoy a Samoa than dunking the crispy cookie in a nice cold pint of our coffee brown ale? The initial roasty aroma and hint of dark chocolate, followed by the strong flavors of coffee mixed with Nutella is a perfect match to cut the coconut and caramel sweetness of the cookie. Someone call England and tell them tea and biscuits is dead, long live dunking cookies in beer!
Pairing Note: Chosen by former Brownie and current Mother Road director of brewing operations Leah Dwyer, and former Girl Scouts Kristen Ewer (production manager), Hannah Bielke (merchandise specialist) and Amy Loebig (tap room lead).
Michael Waltrip Brewing Company
Two-Time Blonde Ale + Lemon-ups: The blonde ale is light, flavorful, and refreshing. It has hints of honey, tangerine, and passion fruit. Bright Yellow with a frothy head that has a crisp, clean finish and zesty carbonation paired with Lemon-ups lends complimentary flavors and warming character that will help emulsify the crisp lemon flavor.
Checkered Past IPA + S’mores: The Checkered Past is a full-bodied and deep ruby-colored IPA with a tropical nose highlighted by coconut and pineapple with light citrus zest in the background. Toasted marshmallow and graham-cracker swear malt notes take a backseat to bright tropical flavors and lingered smooth coconut. Paired with the delicious Girl Scout S’mores, crunchy graham sandwich cookie with creamy chocolate and marshmallow filling to enhance the rich flavoring that the IPA already has to offer.
Vamanos + Toffee-tastics: Vamanos is a clean and crisp Mexican-style lager with hints of sweet grainy malt and light floral hop aroma from the use of fine noble-hops. The lager would pair perfectly with the sweet crunchy buttery flavoring of the Toffee-tastic Girl Scout Cookies with toffee bits. This lager, light-bodied with brilliant clarity and refreshing carbonation just got a whole lot sweeter!
Four Peaks
Girl Scout cookie and beer pairings are a Four Peaks specialty—the Tempe-based brewery has hosted a cookie-pairing party during Arizona Beer Week every year since 2014. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event will look a little different this year: From February 15-19, Four Peaks is offering flights featuring six cookies and beers that customers can either take home or enjoy during regular hours at the Four Peaks pub on 8th Street in Tempe.
Kilt Lifter + Toffee-tastics: The toffee flavors in Kilt Lifter harmonize with the toffee baked into the cookie and allow the beer’s subtle smoky notes to become more noticeable.
WOW Wheat Ale + Lemon-Ups: WOW is a brand-new collaboration between Four Peaks and The Joy Bus, a Phoenix-based a Phoenix-based nonprofit that aims to elevate the quality of life for homebound cancer patients through home-cooked meals and friendly conversation. Proceeds from the beer’s sales are donated to The Joy Bus to help them in their mission. It’s brewed with wheat and sweet orange peel for bright, citrusy flavor. This pairing plays on the combination of citrus fruit flavors: lemon and orange. WOW is also crisp, light, and refreshing, so it won’t overpower the delicate cookie.
Sirius Black + Samoas: A rich, flavorful cookie requires an equally rich, flavorful beer to match. Sirius Black has huge chocolate malt flavors that resonate with the actual chocolate used in the cookie, while notes of coconut and caramel from the bourbon barrels harmonize with the cookie’s toasted coconut and caramel drizzle.
hAZy + Trefoils: Tropical fruit flavors swirl in every sip of hAZy; pair these with the Girl Scouts’ classic shortbread cookies to recreate the experience of eating a fruit tart pastry. The beer’s mild bitterness also balances the sweetness of the sugary cookies, Swiffering your palate clean before the next bite.
Kühl Beans + S’mores: Flavors of cocoa and vanilla in Kuhl Beans harmonize with the beer’s chocolate and mallows while subtle espresso notes elicit memories of eating s’mores and drinking coffee around the campfire.
Tandoori Raj + Do-si-do: Raj’s bitterness balances the sweetness of the cookie, while the combination of tandoori spices and peanuts replicates familiar flavor combinations—peanut sauce is often used in Indian cuisine, and tandoori peanuts are a common snack.
Pedal Haus
Biere Blanche Belgian Wit + Lemon-Ups: The subtle flavors of Belgian yeast, Moroccan orange peel and coriander will pair very nicely with the citrus flavor of this cookie.
Pedal Haus American Stout + Thin Mints: The beer’s subtle notes of cocoa, coffee and malt will pair very nicely with the chocolate-y flavor of the beloved Thin Mint.
Pedal Haus American Amber Ale + Samoas: The subtle malty and caramel flavors will pair perfectly with the cookie’s caramel drizzle and buttery shortbread cookie.
Wild Tonic
Wild Tonic Blueberry Basil + Trefoils: Iconic and delicious shortbread cookies is a match made in heaven when paired with Wild Tonic Blueberry Basil for a burst of sweet blueberry and savory basil (plus the blue packaging coordinates).
Wild Tonic Strawberry Blood Orange + Lemon-Ups: These crispy lemon cookies baked with inspiring messages pair with Wild Tonic Strawberry Blood Orange for a fusion of strawberries and subtle citrus notes.
Wild Tonic Mango Ginger + Samoas: Caramel and toasted coconut-covered cookies become a tropical paradise when paired with Wild Tonic Mango Ginger, which shines with distinct lush mango and subtle ginger undertones.
Rott n’ Grapes
We also asked a former Girl Scout – owner and The Alpha Grape at Rott n’ Grapes Patty Gii – for her picks on great pairings:
- The calm, slightly sweet Do-si-do pairs brilliantly with the sweetness and almost caramel taste of a good brown ale. Add the Leggo My Ego from Arizona for a well-scripted dance.
- Look to the art of simplicity for the perfect pairing with the Trefoils: Lolli from The Beer Research Institute in Mesa. Its golden color and acute bitterness in the aroma bring on the flavors in both the shortbread and the pale ale.
- The rich peanut butter of a Tagalong is the star and you’ll find the right supporting character in a English Dark Beer from Stronghold Session Ale from Dragoon Brewing Co. in Tucson. With just hints of chocolate, coffee and fruit, the match is perfect.
- The Piehole Porter from Historic Brewery in Flagstaff is a calmer porter with very similar chocolate and caramel flavors which support the Peanut Butter and Sweet combination we’ve all come to love.
- And as for Thin Mints, the strength of the mint cuts through the chocolate cookie and doubling up on the rich chocolate elevates the mint even more! Add more chocolate with the cacao nib tones of the Arizona Wilderness State Park Port.