Hudson Valley Boozy Beverage and Halloween Candy Pairings

For so many of us, Halloween, well trick-or-treating specifically, looks a lot different these days. In some cases, you're holding it down at home and giving out candy to the neighborhood ghosts and goblins. If you're in my boat, you'll be cruising the streets watching the kiddos run up and down people's driveways, reminding them to say thank you, and occasionally getting asked to 'hold this!'

Both of those situations do offer a unique opportunity though, pairing candy with the proper beverage, and i'm not talking about picking between diet coke or iced tea.

Let's talk about candy and alcohol pairings to prepare for Halloween weekend, are you ready?

The experts over at Wine Enthusiast have provided us with the rundown of the best wine and candy matches, informing us to keep in mind the textural components of the candy, the sugar content, and obviously the taste and makeup of the candy itself. Some of their suggestions include:

Candy Corn with Prosecco or Sparkling Riesling
- apparently the bubbles help cleanse your palate from the sugar
Hershey's Special Dark with Zinfandel
- due to the fact that the dark doesn't have all the sugars and other flavors, a dry pairing is best
Snickers and Sauternes
- rich and sweet flavors go well with the peanuts and caramel
Reese's with Amontillado or Oloroso Sherry
- the sweetness of the chocolate is balanced by the nutty flavors of the sherry

Good thing we have so many incredible wineries in the area to stock up on all the different types of wine we'll need to get through the candy this weekend!

If wine isn't your thing, don't worry, we've got you covered.

According to askmen.com, Twix pairs well with wheat beer, they recommend Goose Island 312 Wheat Ale but i'm sure you can pick your fav. The rationale, the shortbread and caramel/chocolate combo goes well with wheet bear because of it's banana and clove notes.
If cider is your thing, try matching up Caramel Apple Pops with a sweet and tart cider of your choice, as the combo will feel crisp and balanced, also from the people at askmen.com.

Finally, let's take a look at some of the harder combinations. According to Molly's Spirits, a Colorado based liquor store, these are some winning pairings:

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Bourbon
Gummy Bears with Vodka
Licorice and Rum
Sour Patch Kids and Tequila
York Peppermint Patty (my go-to) and Coffee Liquer

They also say to try Candy Corn with Beer, Hershey's Kisses with Champagne, and M&Ms with Red Wine.

Hopefully you are now prepared with a shopping list full of essentials to pick up ahead of the festivities this weekend, and now know what treats you should be looking for (read: stealing) from your kids trick-or-treat bags.

LOOK: How Halloween has changed in the past 100 years

Stacker compiled a list of ways that Halloween has changed over the last 100 years, from how we celebrate it on the day to the costumes we wear trick-or-treating. We’ve included events, inventions, and trends that changed the ways that Halloween was celebrated over time. Many of these traditions were phased out over time. But just like fake blood in a carpet, every bit of Halloween’s history left an impression we can see traces of today.