I got this 365 Days of Beer calendar for Christmas from my in-laws (they know me so well). It's full of facts and recipes - one fun piece of information for each day of the year. February 16th displayed a deliciously simple beer cocktail recipe. I was so intrigued that on Friday I tested it out with some friends.

Recipe - Black Velvet:

I wanted this beer cocktail to be on the sweeter/fruitier side, so I steered clear of heavy milk/chocolate/coffee stouts and chose this tasty Cheery Stout by Bell's. I also picked up this sparkling wine from Trader Joe's. It's a "brut" - which helped play off of the sweetness of the beer. The two drinks balanced out perfectly together!

(Note: sparking wine is the same as champagne - it's just from a different region in France.)