The Spirit World

The art of the true mixologist doesn’t stop at the glass. Cocktails are a cuisine, and as such can, and should, participate with the other culinary arts as much as possible. One of the books that I have often recommended to various mixologists across the country has been “Culinary Artistry“ by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. It presents the culinary palate in a unique manner by illustrating the methodology that many of the world’s greatest chefs use to approach thinking about what flavors work best with other flavors. While flavors are obviously important in cooking, the art of “pairing” flavors is rarely given the attention it deserves. Which is why I found it refreshing to see it covered so well, especially since mixology specifically IS the art of flavor pairing.

You can then imagine my delight, when Andrew and Karen let me know that their next book was going to be specifically targeting pairing food and drink. In “WHAT to DRINK with WHAT you EAT“, they approach the broader culinary concerns associated with mixing and matching solid and liquid cuisines together, and various flavors that hold specific affinities. While the book puts most of its emphasis on pairing wine with food, it also includes additional information and insights on how this can be expanded to include Beer, Sake, Spirits, Cocktails, Teas, Coffees, and Water.

While there are several significant chapters which discuss how food and drink should be considered as a combined package, the bulk of the book should be seen as a reference document that you can use to quickly look up various products and flavor components and see a listing of possible liquid flavor elements suggested to enhance and expand the experience. You’ll see that for popcorn you might want to pop a bottle of bubbly, or perhaps a rich and smoky scotch; or if you are serving kumquats, you might want to pair them with an aquavit or gin based cocktail, or perhaps a sparkling pineapple juice. In addition to a food listing that shows what to drink, the book includes a second listing that is organized by drinks with suggestions of what to eat. Here you will see that if you are serving a gin based cocktail, you might want to consider cooking up some oysters, pork, salmon, or crab. If you are having a non-alcoholic evening, and perhaps drinking ginger ale, then carrots, ham, melon, or sweet potatoes might be in order.

Cocktails are gradually coming into their own, and the more appropriate attention we can put onto the culinary properties that they embody the better.