I have read a number of articles recently on pairing Girl Scout cookies with all sorts of beverages. I decided to support my local Girl Scouts and purchase a box each of five varieties of cookies.

Then, I paired them with beers brewed within driving distance. I have to admit this went better than I imagined. Keep in mind, I did have some help, as this was a lot of cookies and a lot of beer. I recommend that you do the same. Here are the five that stood out to me. Cheers!

Samoas / Ipswich Oatmeal Stout
These chocolate-drizzled coconut treats have two common ingredients in adjunct stouts and porters. I tried a few beers with coconut, and they just did not pair well, as one seemed to overpower the other. I even tried some brews with vanilla or coffee flavors. What seemed to work best is a good basic porter or stout with no additional flavorings. I found the Ipswich Oatmeal Stout was an excellent match. The oatmeal used in the mash creates a full, creamy mouthfeel, and the muted chocolate and coffee flavors from the malts cut through the sweet and fatty coconut.

Tagalongs / Jack’s Abby PB&J Framinghammer
These chocolate-covered cookies also go by the name of Peanut Butter Patties, which is just plain wrong. Patties belong on the grill. That aside, I found a match for these in an unexpected place. I assumed that Jack’s Abby PB&J Framinghammer would match well with a plainer cookie. Wow, was I wrong! This was decadent in every way imaginable. This Baltic porter took the chocolate and peanut butter from the cookie and extended the peanut butter flavor, adding a fruity jam element and finishing with a slightly bittersweet, coffee-like finish. Imagine taking a tagalong, dipping it into your favorite jam and chasing it with a shot of espresso. As good as that sounds, this cookie/beer combo is better.

Trefoils / Lefty’s Brewing Bean’s Brew Imperial Stout
This is the plainer cookie I was talking about. It’s an excellent shortbread with butter as its main taste. It’s just begging for a cup of coffee to be dunked into. One of my favorite coffee stouts is Lefty’s Brewing Bean’s Brew Imperial Stout. This was a near-perfect pairing, as the cookie brought out the coffee flavors in the stout, and the stout let the buttery goodness of the cookie shine through. One after the other, they danced perfectly until both the bottle and box of cookies were gone. This was the clear favorite of the group.

Do-Si-Dos / Mayflower Porter
These are also known as Peanut Butter Sandwiches. Unless there is ice cream involved, a sandwich needs bread. These tend to be a little on the dry side, and the peanut flavors are strong, so it is nearly impossible to pair with a nut-flavored beer. I’d recommend a beer a little light on the alcohol, as you will be drinking a lot to balance the dryness of the cookie, along with a touch of coffee or chocolate to accompany the peanut flavor. Mayflower Brewing Company puts out a nearly perfect English-style porter. There is a beautiful bouquet of toffee, chocolate, coffee, and as it warms, dates. It accompanies this cookie extremely well. At 5.5% ABV, you don’t have to worry about having an entire 12-ounce bottle.

Thin Mints / Clown Shoes Breakfast Exorcism
I think the Thin Mint is easily the Girl Scout cookie with the most concentrated flavor. To cut through the flavors, you need a stout that can keep up with the strong chocolate and mint going on here. However, the beer cannot have a chocolate or mint flavor, as the cookie will just overpower it. Clown Shoes makes a number of excellent barrel-aged imperial stouts. I chose Breakfast Exorcism, which is aged on espresso beans in bourbon barrels, but any of the bourbon barrel offerings would work. The smooth mouthfeel washes away the minty chocolate, leaving a roasty bitterness that eagerly awaits the next burst of chocolate and mint. Alternating between the two was like taking a ride on a teeter totter, but don’t ride too long. At 11% ABV, you will quickly find yourself face down on the playground.