Like chefs who have an intimate knowledge of the ingredients in their kitchen, it is essential that mixologists today have a deep understanding of the enormous range and subtleties of flavours that stock their bar.
Following on the heels of wine pairing and beer pairing meals, the matching of spirits with food is beginning to take hold. However, while it can be a real treat, spirit pairing comes with risk. If pairings are not executed properly they can fail miserably – leaving a guest’s palate overwhelmed and confused by powerful and contradictory tastes.
Pairing spirits with food is a prime example of culinary and bar team members having to work in concert. When planning a spirit pairing meal start with the chef’s dish and build the spirit around the food. Take a prominent flavour of the culinary creation, find a flavour that enhances it and then create a drink that complements the flavour profile, keeping the cocktail simple.
Pure flavours are easier to work with as they can be “dialed down” to harmonize with their culinary partner. The following flavours pair nicely:
- Vanilla and rhubarb
- Avocado and fresh coriander
- Cinnamon and apple
- Rosemary and lamb
If a chef or mixologist tries to impress patrons by producing exotic-flavoured dishes or beverages containing multiple ingredients, the potential for disappointment increases. Similarly, certain flavours simply don’t pair well, such as lavender and ice cream or mint and beef tenderloin. Also, sweet dishes are not necessarily well-paired with sweet beverages nor are salty dishes with salty beverages.
Although experimentation is recommended, certain flavour characteristics work well with particular culinary profiles. For instance:
- Citrus-based cocktails, such as margaritas and daiquiris, complement dishes containing spiced rubs or marinades as the citrus flavour stands up well to the spicy seasoning.
- Gin pairs perfectly with seafood, oysters and prosciutto. These foods bring out the botanicals in gin, such as juniper berries.
- Dishes containing red meat, such as steak and ribs, are well complemented by beverages made with fresh herbs and spices, such as the Caesar or Bloody Mary.
- Whether peaty, smoky or grassy, scotch often pairs well with fish.
- Common finger or snack foods are some of the most difficult to pair with spirits due to their high fat content. The best partner for heavier foods is a beverage with high acidity or a cocktail with carbonation like a grapefruit Bellini.
- When it comes to desserts, lemon and blueberry is a wonderful and refreshing combination. A glass of Italian pinot grigio is a near perfect match with flavour notes of tropical fruit, citrus and lively acidity. Alternatively, a malt-flavoured beer or cocktail made with Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is a nice match with sweets, particularly chocolate-based desserts. Fruity beers such as Fruli, a Belgium strawberry wheat beer, or other dessert inspired beers work well as a cocktail ingredient when coordinating a dessert-cocktail pairing.
The trick to spirit pairing is to find beverages and foods that work in harmony with one another. Here are two spirit pairing meals.
CASEY’S VANILLA MAPLE BERRY DAIQUIRI
1.5 oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
2 strawberries
6 blueberries
1/4 oz maple syrup
2 oz fresh sweet and sour mix (fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice and simple sugar)
Mixing Method
Add fresh berries to a Boston shaker and muddle well. Add spiced rum, fresh sweet and sour mix, maple syrup and a scoop of ice. Shake well. Strain over ice-packed cocktail glass and garnish with a skewer of fresh berries.
Food Pairing
Shrimp Piri Piri, which includes Portuguese spicy peppers and preserved lemons.
CASEY’S BLT CAESAR
1.5 oz bacon-infused vodka
2 drops Tabasco Red Pepper Sauce
2 drops Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of fresh ground pepper
5 oz Mott’s Clamato Cocktail
Bacon-infused Vodka Procedure
Cook 1 lb of bacon, rendering approximately 4 oz of bacon fat. Add the bacon fat to 26 oz of vodka and mix with whisk. Place in a sealed container at room temperature for 4 hours. Stir occasionally. Freeze to allow bacon fat to congeal. Thaw. Filter through a water filter and then return to an appropriate serving vessel.
Mixing Method
Mix all ingredients in a tall cocktail glass. Rim glass with fresh herbs and spices. Garnish with a grape tomato and a lettuce wrapped celery spear.
Food Pairing
Grilled flank steak prepared with Dijon mustard and honey and then brushed with olive oil, fresh tarragon, thyme and chives.
Nathan is the mixologist and beverage manager for Casey’s Grill Bar and Prime Pubs . He is also the author of the popular book, Casey’s Cocktails. Shane Waite is the brand chef for Casey’s and Prime Pubs.
