I'll admit something upfront: I am not much of a beer person. So when I decided to make a caramel featuring a local beer, my husband Nate's ears perked right up. Working on this one together is what made the whole project fun.
The idea started with wanting to capture that classic bar snack combination: something sweet, salty, and crunchy all at once. A beer and pretzel caramel felt like the answer, even if I needed some help picking the beer.
Finding the Right Local Beer
Nate was all in on the challenge. Together, we taste-tested our way through a few local options until we landed on Railroad Red Ale from Cal Coast Beer Co, right here in downtown Paso Robles. Its malty, slightly nutty notes turned out to be a nice match for a soft, buttery caramel base.
That's one of the things I love about making caramels here in Paso Robles. There's no shortage of good local ingredients to work with, and it's fun to build a flavor that feels tied to this place.
The Trick to Keeping the Pretzels Crunchy
Once the flavor was right, the next challenge was texture. A soggy pretzel is a betrayal and has no place in a good caramel, so I spent a while figuring out how to keep that crunch intact.
The answer turned out to be candying the pretzels first, before folding them into the caramel. It took some trial and error, but it made a real difference in the finished bite: salty, not too sweet, and still crunchy.
A Seasonal Caramel Made in Small Batches
This Beer + Pretzel Caramel is part of my Seasonal Caramels lineup, which means it is my Seasonal Caramel for March every year. I make it in small batches, like everything else I do. It's a fun one to bring to a gathering or tuck into a caramel gift box for someone who's a little tricky to shop for.
Since it's seasonal, it's only around for a limited time each year. Once a batch sells out, it's gone until I bring it back.
If you'd rather stick with a classic, my Sea Salt Caramels and Vanilla + Toasted Almond Caramels are always available, and the Gift Collection is a nice way to mix a few flavors together.
Thank You for Being Part of This
I'm grateful to everyone who follows along as I try new things in the kitchen, including this one. I genuinely love sharing my caramels with you.
Cheers & Caramel,
