Monkish Brewing co-owner Henry Nguyen clearly knows how to honor a special occasion. He and wife Adriana recently delivered an impactful Shaolin Kick for their second anniversary. To honor the wedding of our mutual friends Gev and Susie, Nguyen worked with the happy couple, plus Portola Coffee Lab, to produce Matrimonium. The Imperial Belgian Espresso Lavender Stout wasn’t too floral and had enough coffee bitterness to tame the beer’s malt sweetness. As I learned at the reception in Carlsbad, and at the post-wedding brunch at Pizza Port Bressi Ranch, not only does Matrimonium pair well with chocolate wedding cake layered with buttercream, but the beer is a great kickstart to the day.

Better yet, the beer wasn’t just a gift to Gev and Susie. Monkish released 50 cases of Matrimonium to the public, which went on sale on March 23. Holy matrimony, indeed.