With Girl Scout cookie season in full swing, we wanted to challenge ourselves to pair each cookie with the perfect wine. Sweets in general are super challenging to pair with wine. The intense sugar content of desserts often overpowers the fruity flavors in wines and can make even the most perfectly balanced wine taste off-kilter and overly accentuate the tannins making the wine taste bitter. With this in mind, we looked to find some fruit-forward wines with little to no tannins to pair with each cookie.
You can find these wine varietals at your own local wine shop or big-name stores like BevMo and Total Wine & More!
If you haven't ordered your Girl Scout cookies yet, or can't find a local troop to buy from, we suggest ordering from Troop 6000 - a Girl Scout program that serves girls in the New York City shelter system. Led by trained Troop leaders also living in the shelter system, this program gives all girls and women in the NYC shelter system the opportunity to enjoy all that the Girls Scouts has to offer.
Online orders start February 27th - March 1st, 2023.
So, grab your favorite box (or several) of Girls Scout cookies, and test out these pairings! Tell us what you think and let us know your favorite pairings!
xxx Ivy & Eve
Thin Mint- Many think that chocolate would pair well with big, heavy reds like cabernet sauvignon or a syrah but it is actually the opposite! Big, heavy reds tend to have a lot of tannins which when combined with chocolate, make the wine taste bitter and the chocolate flat. To avoid this we suggest going with a low-tannin red wine like barbera or grenache.
Tag Along - We like to pair the #1 Girl Scout cookie with a Beaujolais or malbec. The juicy acidity in Beaujolais can help balance the creaminess of the Tag Along. A malbec makes a sweet harmony with its dark fruit and cocoa finish and the peanut butter and chocolate of the Tag Along.
Do-Si-Do - The classic peanut butter cookie. These simple yet flavorful cookies will pair well with zinfandel. Zin’s are known for their higher alcohol content and deep jammy flavors that marry well with this cookie and give off a grown-up PB&J kind of vibe!
Gluten-free chocolate chip toffee - With such a classic cookie a nice glass of pinot noir will pair perfectly. The light tannins in the pinot combined with vanilla and cherry notes go nicely with the simple, yet delicious, flavors of these chocolate chip cookies. Although we do not have dietary restrictions we still thought these chocolate chip cookies hit the spot!
Raspberry Rally - 2023’s new addition to the Girl Scout cookie lineup is the perfect partner for a nice chilled glass of bubbly Brachetto d’Acqui! These pretty pink-centered cookies complement and intensify Brachetto d’Acqui’s notes of raspberry, rose, and baking spice, making them a natural pairing for this sweet sparkler. Brachetto d’Acqui is also a low-alcohol wine (5.5-8%) so you won’t run the risk of a hangover from sugar AND alcohol!
Samoa - With something so decadent, try a dessert wine like cream sherry or tawny port, which has enough sweetness to stand up to the cookie and has similar flavors of caramel, cocoa, and some nice toastiness. For a white pairing, choose something like a sauterne to really bring out the tropical notes of coconut and butterscotch flavors.
Adventurefuls - This newer addition to the Girl Scout cookie family is indulgent! The cookie mimics the flavors of a brownie topped with caramel and sea salt. Because this cookie is so rich we recommend pairing it with an equally rich port wine.
Trefoil - This delicate shortbread cookie couples well with a champagne-brut nature or brut zero. The acidity, and toasty notes of the bubbly work well with the buttery cookie flavors. Alternatively, the Trefoil will pair perfectly with a Moscato d'Asti as this wine is no stranger to cookies: In Italy, it's common to drink with biscotti!
Tost-yay - These may be one of our new favorite Girl Scout Cookies! In the fun shape of toast, these cookies taste similar to cinnamon toast crunch cereal. The cinnamon is light enough to pair nicely with a glass (or two) of prosecco.
Lemonades - A delightfully zingy cookie with a light citrus frosting coating the bottom. These cookies will pair well with a sauvignon blanc, a dry riesling, or albariño as these wines all tend to have defined tropical, and citrus flavors.
What pairing did you like best? Have any other pairing suggestions? Let us know in the comments!
