The beer is called Sexual Chocolate. But if you think this is a sugary, adult version of hot cocoa, your cup will be filled with disappointment.
"It's kind of got a chocolate aroma and character, but it's not like (milk) chocolate, as far as the taste," says Jamie Bartholomaus, brewmaster at Foothills Brewing in Winston-Salem. "It's more of the flavor and aroma of the raw bean."
Since 2006, Foothills has been releasing this signature brew near Valentine's Day. Created in 1996 as a homebrew by Bartholomaus, its reputation is erupting not only into local legend (with local beer geeks lining up around the block each year to grab their alloted four-bottle ration), but also garnering positive reviews from renowned beer publications such as Beer Advocate.
Sexual Chocolate's suggestive label features a va-va-va-voom-y woman with an attitude of cool that would make Foxy Brown flinch. You don't want to play games with this high-alcohol beer, because just like the cool lady on the label, this beer is anything but sweet. And you better have a strong constitution to take it on.
"(The label's) kind of edgy, but attractive ... kind of like the beer," Bartholomaus says.
In the microbrewing underground, a new movement has begun to emerge: a growing group of wandering souls whose mission is to find some of the rarest and tastiest beers on the planet. Sexual Chocolate has become one of the newest contenders for this crown, with beer lovers coming from as far away as Indiana and southern Florida.
"It's like this whole little subculture going on," Bartholomaus says.
Contact David Locklear at lockdown10@gmail.com.
