Food of the Gods: Chocolate + Beer

This week's Great Escape is an easy one. 

It combines several elements that, as a parent, you may miss in your life from time to time. Big city lights, drinking, and an art museum event for adults only— with hors d'oeurves children would blanch at.

The Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park is hosting Beer + Chocolate = Food of the Gods Thursday, March 31st. The event celebrates the museum's new, groundbreaking exhibition, Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea.

Featured will be chocolatiers from  and brewmasters from , both of whom will conduct tastings that reflect Mayan tradition. Hors d'oeuvres will be provided by Catering St. Louis with live music and special tours of the exhibition.

The Mayans pioneered techniques in creating both beer and chocolate over 3,100 years ago, since they considered them to be two of life's finest things. The original use of the cacao seed in Central America was to be ground and made into a spicy, frothy drink. Yes, something akin to beer.

Though for the Aztecs and Maya it served more as a status symbol than a sweet craving, these days anyone can enjoy the flavor combination—including you.

Call up the babysitter and get the night off for this great event. Tickets are $60 for museum members, $75 for non-members.