Bean to Barstool Redux: Vintage but still relevant conversations from the archives without all the extra narration. Just classic interviews from really cool people in craft chocolate, craft beer, and other food and beverage fields.

In this edition, we talk with Em Sauter, creator of Pints & Panels and author of Hooray for Craft Beer. Em and I talk about the book, her creative process, why positivity is so important in the craft beer world, and she even tastes a few craft chocolate bars along the way. Enjoy!

Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.

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In this bonus episode, host David Nilsen talks about the most versatile craft beer styles to have on hand for pairing with craft chocolate. He explains why each style is so versatile and recommends types of craft chocolate to pair with each, and provides some information on how to host a pairing at home.

You can read David's blog post on this same topic here.

You can learn more about how to host a successful beer and chocolate pairing at home in this bonus episode or this blog post.

Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.

Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!
Instagram
Facebook
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Sign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.

We recently wrapped up our four-episode series called Collaboration for Chocolate Makers, which looked at different collaboration ideas for craft chocolate companies. Today, we’re looking at a case study of a specific kind of creative collaboration within the industry to pick apart how it worked, and how you can apply it at your own chocolate operation.

Estelle Tracy of 37 Chocolates is a chocolate educator whose has been a guest on Bean to Barstool numerous times (you can find links to those episodes below). She reached out to me a few weeks back to let me know about a unique collaboration she was involved in in 2025.

Estelle worked with Castronovo, a popular craft chocolate maker, to release a limited chocolate bar, and then led a virtual event to tell the story of the bar. In our conversation today, Estelle talks about how she approached the pairing, how it worked, what the advantages were on both sides, and what you need to know if you want to pursue a similar collab as either a craft chocolate maker or an educator or enthusiast.

Episode timeline:

1:00 - Narrated introduction
3:35 - Beginning of interview
6:50 - Summary of Estelle's collab with Castronovo
12:05 - How she pitched the collab idea
14:10 - Exclusivity of collab bar
19:55- Business advantage for the maker
21:35 - Developing the collab bar
25:00 - Collaborations between enthusiasts and makers
25:55 - Unique things to consider with collabs of this type
30:55 - Things she's do differently next time
35:35 - End of interview, closing thoughts on conversation
39:35 - Recent beer and chocolate news
48:30 - End of episode

Mentioned in this episode:

Moka Origins

Amazon Conservation Team

J.Street Chocolate

World Beer Cup 2026 winners

Craft Chocolat Challenge 2026 winners

Rhyme & Reason Chocolate

Indulgence Chocolatiers

Beato Chocolates

DC Chocolate Society's Ultimate Chocolate Festival Survival Guide

Lucid Chocolatier

Past episodes mentioned:

Brewing Pastry Stouts Thoughtfully with Wandering Monsters Brewing

Hi Wire Brewing's 10W-40 Chocolate Imperial Stouts

Wolves, Sons, and Ethereal Confections

Brad Kintzer of TCHO Chocolate

Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.

Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest

Sign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.