Pairing Whiskey with Food
If balancing the flavors of whiskey with savory or sweet dishes is a new concept, don’t miss the chance to take your palate on a spirited adventure during the Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife festival November 4-6, 2022. The Friday night event in Vilano Beach, Whiskey Inspired Pig Pickin’ on the Pier, provides the ideal opportunity to sample the depth and breadth of whiskey’s nuances while paired with a variety of culinary delights.
To get an idea of how whiskey might be paired with umami-rich dishes, we sat down with one of the chefs participating in the festival. Chef Barry Honan of Lotus Noodle Bar in St. Augustine shared some recipes and tips on what to consider when matching this spirit with flavor profiles.
“To begin, let’s evaluate the characteristics of the whiskey,” Honan says. He created a cocktail using Suntory Toki, which has notes of grapefruit, green grapes, peppermint and thyme. “It has a subtly sweetness yet spicy finish with hints of ginger.” His cocktail, called Whiskey Matsuri (matsuri means festival in Japanese), is a riff on whiskey sour and features yuzu juice, Asian pear and fresh rosemary.
“To pair with the cocktail, I’ve chosen a dish known for its umami properties – Okonomiyaki, an iconic street food from Osaka, Japan,” Honan says. His variation of this savory pancake has fermented katsuobushi, hidaka kombu, shiitake mushroom, smoked pork belly bacon and tomato confit. “Each of these ingredients are loaded with an amino acid called glutamate, better known as umami, that activates our taste receptors.”
The pairing between the two works well, as Honan explains, “because the umami of the dish deepens and intensifies the flavor profile of the whiskey while balancing the sour component of yuzu and the smoked rosemary used as a garnish.”
For more tips on pairing whiskey (and wine) with food, check out the Whiskey, Wine and Wildlife festival at its new location in Vilano Beach, November 4-6.
