Finale Desserts

Last Tuesday I got my fix of sweet treats at yet another fantastic Finale Desserts tasting event. You may recall I attended the Craft Beer Tasting back in May and embraced the unique concept of pairing beer with pastries. This time around Nicole Cody - Finale's pastry chef extraordinaire paired five of her signature desserts with summer cocktails crafted by Tim Murphy of Horizon Beverage.Tonight I was joined by Mindy, Megan and Emily who were just as excited to have dessert for dinner as I was. The pairings flowed from cocktails and desserts that were light, fruity, creamy and custardy to ones that were rich and decadent with flavors of coffee and chocolate.

First up - the Tropical Sunset Cocktail blends X-Rated Fusion liqueur with pineapple juice, raspberry puree and a splash of soda water. This fruity libation was paired with a light and fluffy crust free version of Cheesecake that I unexpectedly adored. If this were a competition, cocktail versus dessert, the dessert wins this round hands down. The Lemon Tart in a handmade sugar dough shell complimented a Wild Berry Mojito with sweet mixed berry puree, brut cava, peach schnapps and a splash of sprite. I wasn't the biggest fan of this mojito - perhaps because it strayed too far from a typical rum based version with muddled mint and sugar. But the tart was pretty good - I'm sensing a trend....The third paring of a St. Germain Sparkler with with a traditional Creme Brulee was one of my overall favorites. A super sweet sip of the ever popular elderflower liqueur mixed with Nivole Moscato was balanced by a similar level of sweetness in the caramelized vanilla custard. The Chocolate Bliss Cocktail tasted like a grown up version of chocolate milk. The decadent blend of Godiva Caramel, Godiva Dark, Creme de Cacao and Finale Chocolate Ganache went with a classic Tiramisu, layering coffee soaked ladyfingers, rich mascarpone mousse and a dusting of Valhorona cocoa powder. Lastly, a rich flourless Chocolate Decadence cake was paired off with a strong blend of Svedka Vodka shaken with Godiva Dark, Kahlua and espresso for a non traditional espresso martini. Dessert for dinner? Definitely a good idea every once in awhile, especially when enjoyed with cocktails. This particular tasting will also take place on August 9th from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at Finale Coolidge Corner located at 1306 Beacon Street. My tasting was complimentary since I attended as a media guest, but at only $20 per person it is an inexpensive and fun way to switch up your summer after work routine!