Days of the Beer, February 14

The beer for today is Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout.

Today is Valentine's Day. It is named for two Roman Catholic Saints named Valentine (one of Terni, the other of Rome) . Today is traditionally their feast day, established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I.

The story of both Valentine's became mixed and lost. According to legend, Valentine was persecuted as a Christian by Roman Emperor Claudius II. Claudius tried to get him to convert to Roman paganism, but Valentine refused, so he was to be executed. While in prison, he supposedly cured the blind daughter of the jailer.

The myth about Valentine (either or neither) was that he was jailed because Claudius outlawed marriages because married men didn't make good soldiers; and Valentine performed secret marriages. The other myth was that he was romantically involved with the previous blind girl, and wrote her a note before he was to be executed that said "From your Valentine".

The date became first linked with romantic love because Chaucer wrote a poem.

For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.

["For this was Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."]

Historically, people exchange notes, candies, and flowers.

Antivalentinism is very critical of the Hallmark Holiday. There's two main factions. Anticonsumerists, and people who object to the forced observation of romantic love.

The criticism of forced observation is based on the idea that if a person is forced by culture to profess or observe their love to another (especially on a universally agreed-upon day), or else suffer within the relationship as a consequence of not doing so, then there is no free will in the expression, and thus, it is not love.

Chocolate is considered to be an aphrodisiac (named for Aphrodite, the greek goddess of sexuality and love). In other places, rhino horn, bananas, deer penis, oysters, artichokes, asparagus and even lettuce are considered aphrodisiacs.

As to the beer:

We use three mashes to brew each batch of this beer, achieving a luscious deep dark chocolate flavor through a blend of specially roasted malts. We brew it every year for the winter season. It is delicious when newly bottled, but also ages beautifully for years.

The beer is an imperial stout and is 10% ABV. ( I believe), There is no chocolate used in the making of the beer, only "chocolate malt" which is a way of roasting grains to achieve a chocolate flavor.

So for Valentine's Day, or for your antivalentine sentiments, have a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. If you are celebrating the day, enjoy the chocolate flavors of the beer. If you are against it, sit back and laugh as there's no chocolate in it.