Ireland is the home of whiskey; and Ireland is famous for its food. From farm to fork and from grain to glass, did you know Irish whiskey and food go perfectly together?
The depth of diversity of Irish whiskey pairs perfectly with the finest and freshest food on the island.
Jp McMahon, a renowned Irish chef has provided the following guide on Irish whiskey and food pairings.
Simplicity is key here.
Good soda bread (or sourdough) and farmhouse butter is all you need to set up a simple food pairing that will delight. Because of the density of the bread, and natural oiliness of the butter you need a whiskey which has sufficient texture to stand up to the bread, but also robust flavour delivery on the palate. When tasting whiskey and different breads, butter the bread and cut up into little squares. Lighter breads (such as white country loaf or batch bread) will pair better with single malts. More robust breads (such as wholemeal soda bread) work better more mature whiskeys.
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Ireland is famous for its cheeses and the country now has a farmhouse cheese movement to rival any country in the world.
Whiskey pairs extremely well with cheese due to the ways in which the cheese acts as a foil for the robust quality of the whiskey.
If you’re tasting several cheeses with a number of whiskeys, start with the lightest and work up towards the richest. Always finish with a blue, as the robust quality of this cheese tends to affect other cheeses. When building your cheese board, pick four different cheeses (goats, cheddar, smoked, blue). Always allow the cheese to come up to room temperature before serving. The cheese should be the same temperature as the whiskey.
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Ireland produces a great variety of charcuterie now, from Gubbeen salami to McGeough’s smoked lamb.
Due to their aging cured meats have the great depth in flavour. For pairing with Irish whiskey you can choose a variety of different cured meats, from pork and lamb to beef and game; and experiment with different whiskeys from light to sweet and mature. Experiment with different whiskeys from light to sweet and mature with different cured meat. Sweeter bourbon-matured whiskeys also compliment the dry saltiness of most cured meats
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Shellfish such as prawns, scallops, oysters, mussels, and crab are ideal to pair with Irish whiskey.
Because of the unique clean flavour shellfish, they are well paired with both stronger, spicier whiskeys to draw out flavour. Pairing with seafood is a great way to showcase the versatility of Irish whiskey while also showcasing some of the amazing seafood found in Ireland. With seafood, texture is a big element which can be complimented by the right whiskey.
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The natural flavours of Irish whiskey will work most meats, from beef to chicken, lamb, and pork – including in sandwiches.
Grilled meats pair well with strong malty, peaty or spicy whiskeys, while mature whiskey that are finished in sherry barrel will match that charred flavoured of most meats. As meat carries a stronger flavour than fish, it can drown out the subtle qualities of lighter whiskeys, except that is if you’re serving beef tartare.
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The higher the cocoa content the more robust and rounded the whiskey.
Try a few squares of good quality 70% chocolate with a pot still or a sherry matured whiskey. Nut and truffle flavoured chocolates will showcase spicier tones of pot still Irish whiskey. Flavoured chocolate such as salted caramel or orange chocolate balance with the malt in the single malt Irish whiskey. Blends pair well with small dairy based desserts, such as cheesecake. If pairing whiskeys with desserts, serve with a selection of smaller desserts so customers can try and match with different whiskeys. Due to the strength of whiskeys, smaller portions of desserts work better as the sugar content of the dessert can mask the flavour of the whisky.
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