Food and Beverage Pairings To Serve On Holidays

Is there anything more blissful than achieving the perfect balance of your favorite food and beverage with an amazing meal? Well, as a drink and food lover, this article, too, can vouch that pairing these two is one of the most heavenly combinations ever!

When it comes to successful pairings of dishes to specific beverages, there are several things to consider. A drink is just as important to the menu as the type of complementary dishes you are providing. By pairing food and drink you can create an entire adventure from a single flavor profile.  Here are some ground floor pairings to start the ideas and inspire your imagination wet (don’t really like) your appetite.

If you don’t do it the right way, you may end up spoiling out your entire dining experience. But if you are able to do it right, then voila, a free ticket to a heavenly dining experience.

With this clearly on the way, let us help you bring out the most suitable pairings of food and beverages that will result in a sumptuous dining experience: 

Light wines and desserts for starters

Desserts are sweet on their own and because of this, you should choose a wine that does not have an overly sweet flavor. Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, thanks to its bold fruit flavors, can make a great pairing when combined with sweet and rich desserts such as a black forest cake. 

Tenacious earthly delights

Will your main dish have earthy elements such as lentils, mushrooms, or gamey meats? Perfectly pair them with a Syrah or Pinot Noir that has matching earth tones. This will bring an uncompromised flavor profile to your dish at your event for food and beverage.

One of the most enchanting pairing combinations is the one wherein the food and the wine mirror one another. The factor of earthiness is usually found in red wines like Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo, making them a great fit to go with earthy ingredients like bison steaks or wild mushrooms.  

Spice hot food and beer

Many people choose to enjoy their meals with beer on the regular cause it goes with almost everything. But what you may not know is that beer can also make a great choice when paired with contrasting food combinations too. You can gulp a glass of strong beer with sweet desserts like a cheesecake pot, and it will enhance the flavors of your sweet treat. Contrary to this, you can also pair a salty snack such as a pretzel with beer, to elevate the flavors of each.

And while turkey and ham are a tradition for many at this time of year, others crave something different. How about spicy Southwestern? Set the theme for your celebration with some chile pepper string lights, and then get your guests going with these flavorful frozen appetizers and an out-of-the-ordinary margarita.

Peppermint bonding on a holiday

If baking desserts is not your thing, or you simply want to make things extra simple for this party, then a semi-homemade dessert it is.

For the holidays try to mix chocolate and peppermint together. Such a classic combination, right? So all you can do is drizzle an original cheesecake with chocolate sauce and sprinkle the top with crushed peppermint. Easy and just as delicious as fully homemade. For this idea, a Pacific Rim is a great recipe for Peppermint Bark cheesecake. 

Top it all off with fried finger food and beer 

If you’re on the hunt for alcoholic beverages that would go well with flavorful fried dishes such as chicken wings, fish and chips, fish fingers, onion rings, and deep-fried mozzarella, go for those with lower alcohol content. You can even opt for sweet wines such as Riesling to bring about a distinct flavor of the two.

Key takeaway

Some chefs and sommeliers attempt to find commonalities, pairing, say, a spicy Thai dish with a spicy pale ale (could also be a fruit-fruit or chocolate-chocolate synchronization, etc.). The idea is that there is a pleasant echo. Notes in one sip evoke flavors from past or future bites for food and beverage. 

It’s important to understand the aroma and the taste of the cocktails of the mixers and the flavors, as opposed to the type of alcohol used. So, we should ensure that the ingredients in the food are chosen to complement the taste of the mixers!