The whiskey food pairings (recipes) you need to know about

When choosing a whiskey to pair with food, the flavour characteristic of the whiskey – smoky, sweet, spicy or citrussy – will influence your food choice. The right whiskey can amplify the natural flavour of your meal.

Cheese

Pair a smoky whiskey with a strong cheese. A simple cheese board would work wonders as a snack or you could try these blue cheese croquettes that contain a whole lot more of our reccommended pairing ingredients.

Try the blue cheese, bulgur, quinoa and herb croquettes with pickled pears and bean and pecan nut salsa recipe here.

Discover more cheesy dishes here.

Fruit

Fruit that contain too much citrus can mask the whiskey’s flavour. Try apples or pears, or other similarly tangy or tart fruit.

Try this easy caramel apple and goat’s cheese tart (pictured above) here.

Try the molten Camembert with caramelised apples recipe (pictured above) here.

Bourbon has an underlying sweetness that will pair well with a dessert.

Discover our fruity desserts here.

Simple (slow) roasts

Don’t overpower a smoky whiskey with heavily spiced meat. Try a slow roast with subtle flavours for a perfect balance. Something like this roast pork belly with cider, apple and sage.

Try the roast pork belly recipe here.

Cook's note: For guaranteed crackling, whack pork belly under a hot grill first, then roast it slowly with cider or stock for a juicy finish.

Discover more slow roasts here.

Salty snacks

Salt can enhance the taste of whiskey without overpowering it. Simple bar snacks like nuts and pretzels will do fine, but if you want to put in a little more elbow grease, why not try this Mexican cheese dip with roast chilli and chorizo recipe?

Try the Mexican cheese dip with roast chilli and chorizo recipe here.

Or these rosemary and bacon-wrapped sausages?

Try the rosemary and bacon-wrapped sausages recipe here.

Chocolate

Whiskey is a great complement to dark chocolate. The darker, the better.

Try this crushed Amaretti and dark chocolate tart recipe (pictured above) here.

Try the ginger-and-dark-chocolate cheesecake bars recipe here.

Discover more chocolate recipes here.

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