Local bakery has the proper flavor pairings for The Woodlands Craft Beer and Music Festival

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — The Woodlands Craft Beer and Music Festival runs this Friday and Saturday, featuring hundreds of craft beer samples and numerous live bands. While several local restaurants and eateries will have food for sale at the two-day event, one local food business in particular is ensuring that the proper food is well suited to flavorfully complement the beer. Elizabeth Harrison Cooper, co-owner of CRAVE Cupcakes, said festivalgoers should keep in mind that – believe it or not – cupcakes go hand-in-hand with a good microbrew.

“There’s a lot of nuance to the types of beer people are enjoying these days, and there’s a cupcake that goes perfectly with each one of them,” said Harrison Cooper.

Harrison Cooper said CRAVE will offer a special menu of cupcakes that pair well with the variety of beers that will be available at the festival. In honor of the event, she offered her unofficial cupcake/craft beer pairing guide:
The sweet citrus of a lemon cupcake is the perfect companion to a smooth, crisp Blonde Ale or a Classic Pilsner.
The bright boldness of a British Style Bitter is complemented by the sweet savoriness of CRAVE’s maple bacon walnut cupcake, as is the mellow maltiness of a Brown Ale.

For those who are partial to the rich body and velvety creaminess of a Sweet Stout, the obvious choice is a red velvet cupcake.

The bold hoppiness of a Double IPA is balanced by a rich chocolate or carrot spice cupcake.
Fans of Imperial Stout can have one alongside a CRAVE dark chocolate cupcake. The chocolatey-coffee undertones of the stout partner well with the deep semi-sweetness of this cupcake.

In offering her pairing guide, Harrison Cooper noted that, just as with wine and cheese, no pairing is incorrect when cupcake and beer lovers are putting together two things they enjoy. “Everyone has their own unique tasting palate. You can never go wrong by following your own instincts,” said Harrison Cooper.

The Woodlands Craft Beer and Music Festival, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of The Woodlands, will be held this Friday and Saturday at Town Green Park, located at 2099 Lake Robbins Drive, along the banks of The Woodlands Waterway, between The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and the South Montgomery County Library. Three types of admission tickets are currently being offered at early-bird special prices while they last: music-only tickets that start at $15; general admission tickets that start at $30, and VIP tickets that start at $55. Because the festival encourages responsible drinking, designated drivers will receive a discounted music-only ticket.

To purchase tickets or for other information, visit www.woodlandscraftbeerfestival.com; interested parties wanting to keep updated on the event are encouraged to follow the festival’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/woodlandscraftbeerfestival or Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/woodlandscbf. Inquiries on sponsorship opportunities can be directed to woodlandscraftbeer@gmail.com or by calling 936 647 7399.