Beer + pretzel caramels bring together something a lot of people already love — that balance of sweet, salty, and a little crunch — in a soft, handmade caramel.
This month’s flavor started as a bit of a challenge for me, because I’ll be honest… I’m not much of a beer person.
But my husband Nate is, and he was all in from the start.
We spent an afternoon tasting a few local options here in Paso Robles and kept coming back to one: Railroad Red Ale from Cal Coast Beer Co.
It has a malty, slightly nutty flavor that pairs really naturally with our soft, buttery caramel base.
The bigger challenge turned out to be the pretzels.
Keeping the pretzels crisp
Pretzels can lose their crunch pretty quickly once they’re mixed into caramel, and that texture really matters here.
After a few rounds of testing, I found that candying the pretzels first helps them hold their structure.
It keeps that light crunch intact, even after they’re folded into the caramel.
The end result is simple and balanced — soft caramel, a bit of salt, and just enough crunch.
A thoughtful, slightly unexpected gift
This is the kind of flavor that feels a little different in a good way. It’s easy to bring to a gathering, and it also makes a thoughtful gift for someone who’s hard to shop for.
Like everything we make at Sugar + Spoon, each batch is made by hand in our Paso Robles kitchen, using simple ingredients and a family recipe that’s been around for generations.
This is a small-batch flavor for March, so it won’t be around for long.
If it sounds like something you’d enjoy (or want to share), you can order a box here →
Thanks, as always, for being part of this.
— Anne
