How to Pair Spirits with Common Home-Cooked Dishes

The holiday season is already here and that means that most people are visiting their family and relatives and having a great time together. Holidays also mean that you would be preparing some of the best dishes to celebrate special moments. This certainly calls for some of the best spirits that you can get to pair with those delicious dishes that you would either order or cook. However, not all people go through the same experiences, lifestyles and routines.

Many people still work during the Christmas holidays and they are often busier than ever because of the limited time they have. This means that they don’t have enough time to cook their meals and most people often browse the internet to find some of the finest prepared meal delivery services that they can find. However, many of these oven-ready meal kits are common home cooked dishes and not the fancy gourmet dishes that you find at these fine dining restaurants. Hence, the challenge is how to pair spirits with these regular home cooked meals and get the best experiences.

Beers

Although, it seems that beer goes with anything the fact is that there are different types of beers. Hence, you must have clarity on what food you are cooking or ordering to order the right type of beer. If you are going for spicy food, you can look out for wheat beer that has a light-grain character which is soft on the pallet. However, if you are planning on making pizzas, fried foods, burgers, and stews you can look for dark lagers and amber ales that that roasted caramel-like flavors to them. If you are making seafood you can pick porters and stouts that have strong dark chocolate-like roasted flavor.

Whiskies

There are many food items that you can pair your whiskey with. However, you need to look for the best combinations that can allow you to get the best experiences. If you are cooking smoky meat or any other meat-based items you should opt for rye and bourbon whiskey that cuts through the fat and has a slightly sweet flavor. On the other hand, if you are cooking something citrusy and spicy you can opt for peated scotch that has a smoky saltiness to it. Single malt whiskey goes well with seafood dishes as they balance out the salty notes of seafood with the sweet notes of single malt whiskey. If you are pairing whiskey with cheese you can choose bourbon and American single malts.

Tequila

A good glass of tequila with chips and salsa would make a great combination when you are at the bar. However, it would be hard to know how to pair tequila with some of the common home cooked meals. If you are planning to cook anything related to fried chicken that has a lot of crispy and spicy flavor to it you can pair it with tequila. Similarly, you can pair tequila when you are making bacon sandwiches and anything that has some grilled steak in it. Also, tequila goes well with smoked beef and sushi.

Brandy

Brandy is a great spirit that you would want to try especially during cold wintry nights. If you are cooking venison you can look for a well-aged brandy that can cut through the meat and give you a smooth earthy combination. Similarly, you can also pair brandy with fish items to ensure you can limit the oily flavor of fish on your pallet. You can also pair a good quality brandy with fried mac and cheese balls as cheese enhances the floral flavors of brandy. Unlike other spirits, brandy doesn’t have enough acidity and therefore pairs well with chocolate mousse and ice creams.

Wine

You might be overwhelmed by the variety of wines that you can find in the stores. There are hundreds of different wines that people recommend but when you are sitting at home ordering meals or preparing your food you need to look for the right ones to pair. Wines go well with meat, and therefore if you are cooking or ordering red meat you can opt for red wine. Cabaret Sauvignon goes well with steak and lamb chops while Pinot Noir pairs well with venison and pork chops. Similarly, you can white wines that go well with white meat like fish. Hence, you can look for wines like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. If you are preparing roasted vegetables and fried foods you can look for sparkling wines that blend well with them.