When we describe something – or someone – as an ‘acquired taste’, it is rarely a compliment. If we say it of Sharon, for example, it means that she is a bit of a pain in the neck. It’s the same with food: olives, anchovies and oysters are some of the finest foodstuffs on God’s earth but sometimes, in order to truly enjoy them, you have to first quiet your inner doubts by tuning out all the reasons why other people don’t like them.
Those of us who like to devote time to thinking about matching food and booze get called snobs – but we all do it all the time. You would probably choose to have a mug of tea rather than a cup of coffee with fish and chips – and fair play to you if you do. But you might not consider how well a full-fat Coca-Cola would go with your morning cornflakes, or a chocolate truffle with Horlicks, until you happen to be grossly hungover.
We tend not to mind mixologists doing it for us by, for example, infusing an ice-cold vodka shot with a little jalapeno chilli – so why not go one step further and serve a delicious vodka cocktail alongside a prawn or corn chip doused in hot, spicy salsa?
My response to those ridiculous bacon-infused drinks that became all the rage at one point is this: ditch the unnecessary additions to your cocktail and, instead of the infusion, serve a fine piece of well-done smoked streaky bacon glazed with maple syrup on the side. If it works in the cocktail, it will work even better out of it.
A red wine and cheese combo turns me right off. Imagine a glass of heavy red with a strong blue. The clash of flavours would leave your mouth in turmoil. It’s far better with either a sweet white or a light, gently chilled red, such as a low-tannin pinot noir.
The only rule, as the cliché goes, is that there are no rules. That said, certain sensible considerations are in order. Either use the drink to mirror the food (a spicy, salty margarita alongside an oyster drizzled with lime and chilli flakes), or do it the other way round, picking out the key characteristics of the food and matching it with something that shares them. Put simply, the food should behave on your palate much as the drink does. Think a crisp, acidic wine with fresh, citrus-based foods – perhaps a sauvignon blanc with an orange and almond salad or a creamy oaked chardonnay with a schmaltzy roast chicken.
A shot of excellent tequila with green leaf and endive salad or sweet melon liqueur with salty cured ham or even a Negroni with smoky baba ghanoush (which does not appeal to me, but is very popular with some). Unlike Cleopatra, I’m afraid the ‘infinite variety’ of many tried-and-tested pairings – salami with grapes, watermelon with feta, strawberries with balsamic – have rather staled with custom. How about a caramel that isn’t salted?
Those of us who like to devote time to thinking about matching food and booze get called snobs – but we all do it all the time
A pairing can, of course, be an acquired taste. Maybe you absolutely adore Pastis and also love a bit of toasted baguette slathered in black olive tapenade, but have yet to try them together? I dare you. What about fizz? Try an off-dry (confusingly, labelled Extra Dry), such as Taittinger Nocturne Sec, with your KFC – the spicier the better.
Creme de Cacao White, with its flavours of white chocolate, dark roasted coffee beans and autumn fruits is a delicious match for the Perelló picante olives that taste of brine and mellow spice. The olive’s natural, buttery sweetness contrasts perfectly with a drink that would normally be consigned to the dessert stage of dinner or splashed into a strong espresso as a pick-me-up. Perelló also work well with a spicy Bloody Mary.
The chillies of an nduja toast are perfectly complemented by a glass of palomino fino from the Canaries, a volcanic white wine with high acidity, mineral and citrus and green fruit.
I have so many favourites. Try strawberry jam and sriracha on rye, washed down with a mojito or a dry sparking wine, to temper the heat between tastes. Or orange segments (Sumo, if you can get them) doused in tajin, with a paloma. Pickles dipped in crunchy peanut butter works beautifully with a wheat beer; the sweetness helps tame the acidity of the pickle.
Oils and butters pair really well with an old fashioned (or indeed any bourbon-based drink). For a sweet hit, try a maple syrup butter biscuit, or if you prefer savoury, a seeded black cracker with a slice of cold, salted butter. Watermelon and English mustard with a gin and tonic. Loads of ice. Trust me.
My ultimate favourite? Cheesy Wotsits with a negroni. For absolutely no reason other than the fact that I totally adore both – even though I’d would never dream of eating a Wotsit unless they were served up alongside the rest of the pre-dinner cocktails snacks. Sometimes you can have too many blinis topped with caviar.
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