7 Drool-Worthy Food And Cocktail Pairings For This Festive Season
The much-anticipated festive season is here! It's time to celebrate the joyous spirit and rekindle old bonds with close ones. This also means spending a lot of time prepping for gatherings, parties, brunches, dinners and cocktail parties. While it is relatively simpler to host luncheons and dinner parties, cocktail parties can get tricky if you are not used to hosting them. Pairing cocktails and food is essential to the event. But don't get flustered! We have made it simpler for you to understand the right combinations and even shared a few foolproof pairings.
Balance
The best and the right way to pair cocktails and food is you either have both of them complement each other or contrast each other. For instance, if there's a simpler, one-dimensional flavoured food, you can pair it with a drink that has a strong and vibrant flavour profile. For instance, mellow-spiced chicken dishes go well with cocktails like Old-Fashioned or Third Rail.
Mouthfeel
The texture, also known as mouthfeel, of the food and cocktail also need to match with each other. In simpler words, the sip needs to complement the bite. For eg, the gentle effervescence of Champagne goes well with light buttery pastry.
Taste
Punchy, strong or spicy flavours pair well with zingy citrusy cocktails.
Size
Pair shorter cocktails, meaning those served in coupe or martini glass with small plates of appetisers and desserts. The main course can be served with cocktails that come in tall glasses like the highball.
Cocktail And Food Pairings
Pimms Cocktail And Chips
The Pimms Cocktail makes for a perfect welcome drink to your event. Serve it with something salty and crunchy such as chips and crudites. The combination is also light and makes for a good appetising beginning to a meal.
Vodka And Apple Punch With Fruits
You can also start light and healthy with delectable punch and fruits. Vodka And Apple Punch are served along with fruit slices. The punch has a sweet fruity taste that complements the fruit platter.
Sweet Whisky Cocktail And Cheese
Just as fruits and cheese have been traditionally served together, so have fruits and whisky. Sweet whisky cocktails have beautiful notes of fig, ginger and honey. We recommend serving your cocktails with generous helpings of mature cheddar cheese or crumbly blue cheese. The saltiness of the cheese cuts through to bring out the flavours of the whiskey. Delicious!
Pomegranate Whisky Cocktail And BBQ
When serving the main course, cut down on the fizz. Go with sturdy alcohol such as whiskey. For instance, you can try serving pomegranate whisky cocktails and barbecued meats together.
Cuba Libre With Appetisers
In this kind of pairing, you can serve a cocktail with food that has complex flavours. Think Cuba Libre with tacos, tender pulled pork or spicy seafood
Cranberry Gin Cocktail With Cranberry Orange Sticky Buns
Get the feisty and zesty flavours of cranberry in this delightful mix. Cranberry Gin Cocktails burst with the fruity notes. Serve it with cranberry orange sticky buns that are simply soft, fluffy and sweet and will melt in your mouth.
Rum Affogato And Chocolate Pudding
Spicy rum that effuses complex aromas is well suited to go with a chocolate dessert. In this case, you can pair Rum Affogato and Decadent Chocolate Pudding together.
While the festive season is the time to spread cheer, we always recommend consuming alcohol in moderation. It is important to serve and drink alcohol responsibly. This will help in staying healthy and being out of harm's way. If you know anyone who has difficulty in containing their alcohol, please refer them to a professional immediately.
