I'm super excited to announce that the Tasty Show is having a party and you are all invited! All the details are below. Space is limited, so if you'd like to come please be sure to RSVP with your full name + names of any guests to dana@thetastyshow.com.

Last week I enjoyed a delightful evening with a couple friends during which we 'tested out' various pairing beer & cupcakes pairings. We sipped several brews ranging from the lightest blonde ale to a deep, dark oatmeal stout, and experimented with various cupcakes and pairing ideas. Rough times here at the Tasty Show, I know.

That said, I don't have a grand lesson or extravagant pairing idea to share in this post - mostly because our tests results are secret. The evening, which was hosted by the illustrious and creative Kickass Cupcakes in Somerville and featured artisan brews from Stone Cat and Ipswich Ale made by Mercury Brewing Co. in Ipswich, MA, was held in preparation for a very special Tasty Show event that is happening on April 16. I'm thrilled to report that with Sara from Kickass Cupcakes and Caitlin from Mercury Brewing Co. as our guides, we came up with some fabulous ideas! And Kickass Cupcakes will be developing cupcake recipes especially for the beer pairing. Details on the event will be posted here shortly.

The only conclusion that I am willing to share is:

The right beer & the right cupcake can make an incredible pairing, and while I'm not going to tell you what our star pairings were, there is absolutely no harm in running some tests on your own. If you're not sure where to start, go for tastes that usually match (a citrusy or fruity brew with a citrusy or fruity cupcake, a honey brew with a spiced cupcake, and so on).

This week I discovered Domori's 70% Madagascar, a very curious chocolate bar. Domori is an Italian brand of chocolate that offers several excellent lines of single cru bars as well as blended origin bars. I happed upon their 70% Madagascar bar, which is a blend of trinitario and criollo cacao, in doing some taste tests for an event I'm doing next week. Here are some tasting notes:

Domori 70% Madagascar: The color of this dark chocolate Madagascar origin bar is a characteristically light, bright brown color, just as is often seen from Madagascar cacao. In general, dark chocolate of Madagascar origin is light colored enough to be mistaken as milk chocolate. But that's not what was so curious about it. What amazed me about this bar is the fact that it tastes just like strawberry bubblegum. That said, it is, indeed, pure chocolate, with no added flavorings. While the smell is most reminiscent of cinnamon and spice, the taste starts right out with a powerful candy berry zing that continues through as it melts, with a tiny bit of anise that comes through around 4 or 5 seconds into the melting process. The bar is delightfully smooth with an even, creamy mouthfeel that is just right to coat your entire palette with its powerful berry aromas.

All in all, this bar was incredibly fun to taste. Domori is a brand that I have not explored very much up until now. Based on how unique the Madagascar bar is, I've picked out several bars to be next on my list, including Domori's 100% Single Cru Line, and the 70% Ecuador.