Search
Join the Nation

 

adult chocolate milk aged anejo appetizer apple aroma artisan ashes bamboo pizza board bark basil blanco bloody mary Blue Ice bourbon brandy brie burratta caramel Chai tea chalk board champagne charcuterie cheese cheese ball cheese knife cheese maker cherries chevre chianti chilies chipotle chocolate chopin christmas chutney cigar citrus cockail cocktail cocktails coffee cold crackers craft creme de cocao cube cubes cucumber culinary vixen Curaçaos cured meats daiguiris dessert diluting dinner party distilled DIY drink edible eggnog elderflower english peas entertaining espresso everclear eyeballs family gathering fig figs flavor foam food food display fruit fruity gathering gelatin gift gin goat cheese grain grand marnier habanero hallloween ideas halloween hemp seed highballs History holiday holiday gift holidays homemade hot toddy hurricane ice infused infusion innovative irish jack daniels japanese sake jello labeling cheese lavender learning leaves lecithin lemon libation lime lime juice limoncello liqeuer liqor liquer liqueur liquor lliqeuer lybation margarita margaritas martini mason jar match melon margie membrillo midnight martini Mixology mojito moscow mule moto muddle mulled wine national margarita day neat new years nigori sake noodles nutmeg nuts olives orange pairing pan forte paring parmigiano reggiano party pasta Pear pineapple pinot pinot bianco pinot blanc pizza dough potato prosciutto pumpkin raisins recipe redbull reposado rim rimmed glass rinds Rocks rum sake salt sangria scotch serving cheese shaker shots simple cooking simple syrup single malt smoked salt sorbet spaghetti spiked spirits st germain st. germain sugar sweet tasting teaching tequila tequila u thanksgiving tips tomatoes treats university Vacation vodka watermelon whiskey whisky white wine wine wings zest
Wednesday
Dec072011

Matchy-matchy

Cocktails and cuisine have always gone hand in hand. But lately these pairings have become much more popular in restaurants and the broader foody community. Matchmaking can be a fun way to liven up your menu at your next holiday dinner party or get-together, plus it's a good idea to serve food whenever you serve alcohol. And while there's nothing like experimentation, our tips below are a good start.

Match the mixer
The prevailing flavor in most cocktails comes from the mixers, not the spirits. Keep this in mind when you're pairing. Make sure the mixers in the cocktail pair well with key ingredients in the food. For instance, the lemon essence in a margarita goes well with fresh seafood, like oysters.

High-alcohol cocktails
Drinks like Martinis, Margaritas and Cosmopolitans are best paired with foods that can soften the taste of alcohol. These foods include smoked fish or fried foods. Cheeses also soften the alcohol in spirits like cognac or scotch.

Start with dessert
If you're a rookie on the pairing playfield, you may want to start by serving cocktails with dessert. Coffee-based cocktails like Mexican Coffee and Bushmills Irish Coffee go particularly well with desserts-the acidic flavor in the coffee complements the sweet taste of sugar in desserts.

Complicated recipe, easy cocktail
If you're making a dish with complicated flavors, serve a cocktail that's simple and distinct. For example an herb-crusted rack of lamb, with its multiple seasonings and flavors, deserves a straightforward cocktail like a Manhattan.

Think of Cocktails as condiments
Try not to think of beverages as complements to a meal, but as condiments like salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar. As with wine, consider the contrasting or similar components of both food and cocktail. The soft flavor of fish, for instance, can be enhanced by the zest in a citrus cocktail-like a Beachcomber or Sangria. Cocktails can also curtail flavors in foods. If you're dish turned out too spicy, you can temper it with a sweet cocktail.

Texture
The consistency of a cocktail also plays into your pairing decisions. Thicker cocktails made with liqueurs generally don't go well with red meat or rich sauces. Frozen cocktails can overwhelm the palate, while carbonated cocktails pair well with full-flavored foods.

TIP: Looking for inspiration? Think about typical, everyday food pairings like cookies and milk.

PrintView Printer Friendly Version

EmailEmail Article to Friend

Reader Comments

There are no comments for this journal entry. To create a new comment, use the form below.

PostPost a New Comment

Enter your information below to add a new comment.

My response is on my own website »
Author Email (optional):
Author URL (optional):
Post:
 
Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
« Chalk it up to great taste | Main | Vodka: potato vs grain »