Porque no los dos?

Forget the espresso martini, beer spiders are your new go-to dessert cocktail when entertaining.

Beer educator Matt Kirkegaard said the combo isn’t as crazy as it sounds.

“Australians are so locked into the mindset that beer is something you drink for refreshment – crisp, clean and refreshing – but when you get into the world of beers, your perspective changes.”

So to pull off a beer spider, a Corona or Pure Blonde isn’t going to cut it.

“You want a beer with a bit of flavor to it, with coffee or dark chocolate characteristics, which tend to be stouts.”

Matt recommends starting with a Coopers Extra or 4 Pines Brewing Company stouts.

“The Holgate Temptress chocolate porter also has wonderful coffee and chocolate characters with dutch cocoa and vanilla beans added to the beer. So from there, you can think, what flavor ice-cream would this pair with?”

A straight vanilla bean is a good start, or you can swap in coconut ice-cream for a bounty-like flavor or rum and raisin to amp up the sweetness.

“Then you can add liquors like cherry or hazelnut,” Matt says.

“The Alliance Hotel in Brisbane serves a rich stout with vanilla ice-cream and a shot of Frangelico, so it’s like an affogatto.”

If you are serving it as a dessert, dress it up for your guests.

“Think of it like dressing a chocolate cake – you might put some cream on and then dress it up with fruit. For an event, I did an eton mess version and added on some raspberry coulis for a hit of sourness.

 Beer Spider Cheat Sheet

 –       Find a dark beer you enjoy and work out the main flavors, such as a chocolate or coffee

–       Pair it with vanilla ice-cream, or think about complimentary flavours such as coconut or espresso ice-creams

–       Serve a shot of liquor on the side, for an affogato-like dessert

–       Pimp it out with creative toppings

For more beer ideas, go to beermat.com.