Basic Food and Drink Pairings

Have you ever wondered what to drink when you eat? Odds are you usually grab a bottle of sparkling water or your usual red or white wine to complement your meal. However, some foods pair considerably better with some types of beverages than others. By recognizing how flavors contrast and balance each other, you can make more appropriate choices that enhance the unique flavors of your meal and bring out the best in each other.

Matching Cuisines

When you pair food and drink, strive for balance. The idea is that your sip of choice shouldn’t overwhelm the taste of your dish, nor should it strike such a low chord that it barely makes a blip on your palate’s radar. The key is to choose flavors that work in favor of one another. A sweet, acidic wine plays perfect foil to a heady plate of aromatic, spicy foods or a smoky fish. A light wine stands up well to a plate of heavy lamb or filet mignon. Again, balance — the key to curating a perfectly designed meal that allows every flavor to stand out beautifully. Here are a few examples of combinations that work well:

Sake + Japanese

This classic combination is a go-to favorite around the world. It’s not quite a wine — it’s actually more like beer in that it undergoes a fermentation process — and it’s highly versatile. A low-alcohol sake makes a great partner for your sushi, while a smokier variety pairs well with tempura or sashimi.

Cognac + French

Is there any pairing more classic? Cognac abides by some pretty strict rules in France: only those designated with the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) label are considered the real deal. The beloved brandy, made with white wine, adds life to cocktails, brightens up veal sauces, and complements desserts well.

Tequila + Mexican

Tequila is what makes margaritas great, but the spirit is versatile enough to play well with a variety of different Mexican foods. Try silver tequila with grilled seafood or fish tacos. The drink also allows the bright notes in fresh vegetables, like corn and green peppers, to stand out well.

Appropriate Pairings

With this renewed approach to determining what to drink with what you eat, you might not be sure where to begin. First, choose your food — you don’t want to sacrifice your desire for a specific type of dish just because it doesn’t match your beverage. It’s far simpler to choose the drink after you decide on the meal. So what to match with what? Here’s a breakdown.

Sparkling Wine + Salty Snacks

The king of beverages for salty foods is sparkling wine. Sure, beer is great with chips and nuts on game day. But you can elevate the experience by adding sparkling wine to your repertoire. Try it with anything from a smoked salmon sushi roll or oysters to butter popcorn (yep, sparkling wine and popcorn) or southwestern egg rolls.

Beer + Pretzels

It’s an age-old favorite, and there’s a good reason that beer and pretzels pair so well with one another. In simplest terms, the salt helps your beer go down more smoothly. Bitter hops lend the drink its signature zesty undertone, while something like a pretzel, with its high sodium content, makes that taste more palatable. Salt also makes you thirstier, so bear that in mind the next time you’re snacking at the bar!

Pair beer with salty foods like pretzels or burgers!

Chardonnay + Cream

It may be tricky to pair the right wine with a cream-based dish, like a plate of pasta topped with a cream sauce and chicken. Chardonnay is a great choice that has plenty of character and body. It won’t fall flat in the face of those rich flavors in your meal, and it will even work well with sharp blue cheese.

Pinot Noir + Meat

It may seem unusual to introduce pinot noir, what with its fruitiness, to a sophisticated meal consisting of ingredients like salmon, truffle, mushrooms and brie. These are all components of very flavorful meals — and that’s precisely why pinot noir is such an excellent option. Its light profile is just substantial enough to balance those heavier ingredients very well.

Riesling + Dessert

The average American Riesling is quite sweet, which makes it more than a worthy partner for a slice of apple pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The beauty of this wine is that it’s fairly balanced in its sweetness and acidity. The sweet factor wins out in most instances, which makes it a safe choice any time you want to sip some wine with your dessert.