Hard candy: Baltimore’s iconic Wockenfuss Candies creates new stout with DuClaw Brewing Co.

Life’s about to get even sweeter for fans of local beer and candy.

Baltimore county-based DuClaw Brewing Co. teamed up with Wockenfuss Candies, a regionally beloved German confectionery company, to create The Pastryarchy Carmallow.

The new imperial stout’s name comes from one of the 104-year-old, family-owned candy maker’s most well-known products. It is also part of DuClaw’s ongoing Pastryarchy series of dessert-inspired beers. Previous installments included the Chocolate Cherry Bon Bon and Tiramisu imperial stouts.

“We see [Wockenfuss] as an iconic Maryland brand,” said DuClaw’s marketing director Madeline Caldwell. “We’re also a brand that’s been around for a long time in Maryland, so we came together and I think both of us are really excited for what the beer will become.”

Wockenfuss candy manufacturing manager Greg Butler said that DuClaw reached out to the brewery about a year ago, according to Caldwell, and determined that Carmellow might be a good fit for a beer. DuClaw’s brewers invited Wockenfuss employees, including company president Paul Wockenfuss, to take part in the brewing process’ earliest stages. For instance, when brewing during the weekend of March 1, Wockenfuss poured German malts into DuClaw’s grain mill.

Chris Wood, DuClaw’s brewery operations director, said that the team added 100 pounds each of Wockenfoss marshmallows and caramel towards the end of the brewing process. The resulting beer is 8.5 percent alcohol by volume and full-bodied with notes of toffee and honey.

“Anytime you have subtle flavors or anything like that, that you’d want to stand out, stick out more and not get overpowered by any malt or hops, you usually add it towards the end of the process,” Wood explained.

Butler added that their involvement in the brewing process allowed him to see the similarities between making candy and beer, which both rely on sugars.

“They’re using fermentation and we’re using more carmelization,” he said. “But they also do use caramelization in certain aspects... I was really excited about the collaboration because any other industry that you can learn about just broadens your knowledge.”

Canned and draft versions of the Carmallow beer will go out to stores and bars around Maryland on March 23. Wockenfuss’ annual tour of their factory at 6831 Harford Rd., which Caldwell said had 2,000 visitors last year, takes place two days earlier. The first 100 adults in line will get a a can of The Pastryarchy Carmallow.

This will likely be the only opportunity to obtain the beer at a Wockenfuss property: Butler noted that none of their eight locations across Maryland have liquor licenses.