Thursday, May 15, 2008

Pairing drinks with food

Serve an apéritif, a vermouth spritzer with salad, wine with the entrée and a straight spirit or sweet cocktail with dessert.

  • Use common sense. If you think about it, pairing is about using your head (nose, mouth, brain). If you are eating something very rich and fatty, you will want something slightly acidic to "cut" it. If you are eating something with a strong flavor, try a heartier, stronger drink (dark tea, unsweetened or lightly sweet deep red juices, balsamic spritzer).

  • If you are a fan of drinking with dessert, remember the cardinal rule: the beverage should be as sweet as or sweeter than the dessert being served. Otherwise, the drink will attack the palate and come across as too acidic.

  • If you want to "carry" the flavor of a dish – meaning prolong the taste on your buds – sip on something creamy.

  • Mix, don’t just match. There are times when drinks "match" the food, meaning they have similar flavor and aroma notes. But they should also enhance and complement the flavor of something. It takes a very skilled nose and tongue to figure out what makes a good mix, but your kitchen is a laboratory, so start experimenting!

  • http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/wine_drinks/article/0,,FOOD_10018_3733366,00.html
    http://cocktails.about.com/od/partiesholidays/gr/eatdrnk_bkrvw.htm (Useful alcoholic and virgin pairings)
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/wd_pairings/0,1975,FOOD_10017,00.html (Wine Pairing guide)

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