Although I am only responsible for the visual aesthetics of a menu I find my self helping my clients with the actual cuisine and drinks. One way to enhance a menu as well as profit is to pair drinks that compliment entrees.
The main concept behind pairings is that certain elements (such as texture and flavor) in both food and wine react differently to each other and finding the right combination of these elements will make the entire dinning experience more enjoyable.
Usually pairings involve wine, but restaurants are thinking outside of the box to enrich their guests experience, giving them something they can’t get anywhere else. Bar chefs create custom cocktails for their establishments so why not see if these flavors can compliment the cuisine?
This is a wonderful article from Nightclub and Bar Magazine that gives some inspiration when thinking outside of the box – pairing cocktails and beer.
Pairing your food and beverage options is appropriate at some venues, while at others it might be an occasional, promotional decision. No matter what kind of venue you operate, your servers should be versed in coupling wine, beer and the intermittent cocktail with the plates you offer. Educating your staff will give them the skills to up-sell.
So, try taking cues from restaurants and find profit where offerings overlap.
Nightclub & Bar sought the advice of the food and beverage management at Craft Restaurant in New York City (made famous by “Top Chef” and owned and operated by Chef/Host Tom Colicchio), where Assistant Beverage Director Nikki Ledbetter oversees the beer selection and Wine and Beverage Director Sophie Leibowitz handles the wine and cocktails from grappa to Grand Marnier.
When Pairing a Cocktail …
There is more than one mixologist in our industry who would make the claim that food should not be paired with cocktails, with the exception of Mexican fare and tequila or sake and Japanese food. Leibowitz agrees with this assertion, however, she notes that there is room enough to work with if a person wants to pair a cocktail with a meal.
“I think that first of all, I would agree that tequila and sake are exceptions,” she says. “But there is some play with cocktails and other savory ingredients. Sweet is not an ideal pairing with savory, but if you get an ingredient from the savory side, like heirloom tomato in a cocktail, which gives it acidity, body and texture, then you can pair it with a salad or a lighter raw fish dish. There is also room when working with herbs. In these instances, use a spirit like a grappa or an Amaro. Although the recipes for these spirits are hidden and secure, we know they are infused with herbs and vegetables. So they work with dishes with herbs and vegetables.”
The first course or an amuse bouche is a terrific time to suggest a cocktail, but Leibowitz advises that any cocktail with more than three ingredients has the potential to ruin itself in complexity when paired.
“Consider this: If we are going start a meal, a Champagne cocktail is a great idea,” she says. “Champagne is dry, and it’s a beautiful symbol of celebration. First dishes are lighter, and you can make a Champagne cocktail with seasonal grenadine or mixing in Cognac or armangac since those things come from France. If I am working in Italian food, I would use a prosecco.”
Furthermore, she recommends sticking with a 3-ingredient cocktail that highlights the spirit at its base.
“We are doing a Caipirinha right now using Leblon cachaça,” she says. “We just use mint and sugar to highlight the cachaça, which has a woody smokiness to it. I would only pair it with fish –– anything raw would be great –– and really that’s our replacement of a Margarita right now.”
Moving into full portions, such as a main course, particularly meats, can be difficult or impossible to pair with a cocktail successfully at times. In these cases, wine is appropriate, but darker, barrel-aged spirits pair more easily generally. Spirits aged in wood, such as tequila and rum, have spicy notes and thus go well with spices like cardamom, cinnamon and allspice.
For the end of the meal, Leibowitz advises finding value in your port and vintage dessert wines by pairing them.
“People commit to a restaurant knowing what they will spend on wine, and they commit that to the bottle at the beginning of a meal,” she says. “To make dessert wines an easier sell make some available with value. Introduce a flight or pair a dessert wine with a dessert for a set price. We pair a dessert with the Sagrantino, which is a type of grape from Umbria in Italy. Essentially it is made with dried grape and then pressed and has a raisin and dried fig flavor that goes fantastic with chocolate and cheese.”
When Pairing a Beer …
Nikki Ledbetter has been working with Craft’s beer selection since being hired, and her driving philosophy is to dig deep and find unique brews from around the world that will both entice and educate her patrons. Beer pairing really depends on the individual label and the individual course, and unlike a cachaça going well with raw fish, there are few rules. At Craft in New York City, Ledbetter is pairing a few of the following.
“I definitely believe in pairing beers with food and that they are not something one just enjoys before or after a meal,” she says. “I would say often pilsners or lighter ales are good to start. We have Cooper’s Sparkling Ale from Australia on our list. It has a light body, and we put it with appetizers, salads with vinaigrettes, oysters and marinated fish.
“In the winter, our oyster pair is Rouge’s Mocha Porter.”
At Craft, the staff hosts tastings with oysters and porters, and it is not something people think about, but the two work well together.
“We have Belgium ales on our list,” Ledbetter says. “One is Corsen Donk and another, which is categorized a boutique brewer, De Dolle Brouwers, is their Arabier beer. You get a lot of orange and spice off the nose, and it is great with harder cheese and lighter white meats like pork since it has a dry chalky quality like you find in Champagne.”
Ledbetter consults the kitchen staff on a regular basis in terms of beer and dish pairings. After a shift, it never hurts to take a new ale or pilsner back to the kitchen as a gift and a way to get the chef’s opinion of flavor combinations that would work well. Beyond the kitchen and bar, Ledbetter turns to outside sources. Her suggestions include Beeradvocate.com and the book “Great Beers of Belgium” by Author Michael Jackson.
“Locally for people in New York City, Samuel Merritt (who previously worked for Brooklyn Brewery) offers classes and hosts tastings,” she says.