Photo: Gregory Reid
Bacon chocolate is old news. Chili peanut brittle is a yawn. The truly cutting-edge Halloween party host knows you have to push your guests past their fear of the unknown. Fortunately, confectioners have started offering really spooky stuff. Here's some help sorting the tricks from the treats.
1.
Beercandy infuses its sweets with real brews, from chocolate- covered lager caramels to stout-flavored Beertaffy. Hopdrops, hard candy made with hop oil, have a powerful IPA bitterness that made us feel almost tipsy. verdict: treat
2.
Gravy Candy by Archie McPhee offers a roast beef flavor that's initially so subtle you could mistake it for root beer, but the aftertaste is truly meaty. Unfortunately, the liver undertones of McPhee's Foie Gras Bubblegum are just as realistic. verdict: trick
3.
Lollyphile's Sriracha pop is spicy-tasty, but its newest, Blue Cheese, so accurately captures the moldy-footy smell of real frommage, it's hard to put in your mouth. The Breast Milk lolly, however, is delicious and oddly comforting. verdict: treat
4
Jelly Belly's BeanBoozled collection is a mix of look-alike nasty and tasty beans. Pencil Shavings are surprisingly good, but we shrieked when we tasted Barf, Rotten Egg, and Centipede. The Stinky Socks beans are indescribably foul. verdict: trick
