Gin has made a significant comeback recently, inspiring an increasingly popular trend dubbed “ginstronomy,” which refers to the art of gin and tonic food pairings in order to create a uniquely satisfying gastronomic experience. Technically, you can eat anything with gin as your chosen alcohol.
But if you want the best and most flavourful experience for your food and beverage, you should get to know the best pairings for them. Below are some of the best gin and food pairings by top brands to help you know what to serve during your next gathering with your family or friends.
Sipsmith gin
The team at Sipsmith notes that wine pairings are frankly overdone but what isn’t is a gin pairing, and with that said, they suggest these unique dishes to explore.
Crispy fish and chips
How to make an already iconic combo even more perfect? Add gin. Gin offers a refreshingly crisp finish that counters the rich and oily taste of fish and chips. Not only that, but seafood, in general, is delicious with gin. Try smoked salmon, prawns, and even sushi. Their briny, delicate flavour is a match made in heaven paired with almost any gin creation you concoct.
Hot and spicy street food
Complementing gin’s sharp and crisp notes with heat tends to cool and refresh the palette and heightens the overall taste experience. But, it’s not just about the heat. Gin’s botanical notes go well with other spices found in curries and samoosa fillings. For a South African twist, try pap with sheba. Just make sure that all the flavours complement each other, then add a dash of gin to your fiery meat marinade for an extra level of complexity.
Fruity chocolatey treats
Chocolate has a creamy and rich flavour profile that complements the herbaceous hints of juniper in gin. Gin’s herbal notes help white chocolate shine, while milk and dark chocolate paired with berries or citrus highlight its floral flavours. For a fruity twist, add some orange or peach slices to your dessert, or coat cherries and lychees in chocolate for a unique contrast against the bitter fizz of your G&T. For the perfect tipple to use with your gin pairing, Sipsmith London Dry Gin is a great all-rounder.
Roku gin
For a floral, citrusy, peppery, and fuller-bodied gin like Roku, Japanese flavours and dishes work wonders, according to the team at Roku. They say because Roku’s unique elixir covers a full flavour profile, you can involve the gin in an entire menu – from start to finish.
Starters
What better way to start your get-together than by serving fresh sushi and seafood? It’s hard to resist delicious salmon, tuna, or prawn sashimi. Or how about oysters, mussels, tuna tartar, or shrimp skewers? Whatever seafood variety you pick, be sure to include authentic Japanese flavours like ginger, wasabi, yuzu, soy sauce, or matcha to elevate every canape and enhance the gin botanicals.
Mains
This is the part where you can really get creative, using Roku Japanese Craft Gin itself in your show-stopping main dish. Incorporating a tablespoon or two of gin into your meat or fish marinade is a clever way to get those flavours singing. Think gin-cured salmon with wasabi cream or gin-infused teriyaki-style beef with chilli sauce.
The sky is your limit. Just be sure to up the amount of gin you’re pouring into those cocktails if you’re looking to pair them with strong, powerful flavours in your main dish.
Desserts
You can’t go wrong with anything that involves chocolate for dessert – gin pairs wonderfully with white, milk, or dark chocolate. But if you want to bring out the gin’s unique botanicals, take it one step further with a spicy, citrus, or floral element added to your chocolate dessert. Dark chilli chocolate mousse, a chocolate-citrus tart, or edible flower chocolate bark are all top contenders.
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