Whisky evening - food to accompany it?

[chippie]

Next week a group of us are having a whisky evening where we all bring a bottle or two and sample various whiskys over the evening.

But, we also need to eat, but don't really have any idea as to what will go well with an evening of whisky.

So, any suggestions?

 

[233]

does ice count as a food group

 

[233]

on a serious note something plain and not with an overpowering taste/flavour would be best

 

[robfosters]

My Dad went on a whisky tasting session and they were serving antipasto selections. The flavours cut through the whisky nicely and were'nt too filling.

Things like light cheeses, cured meats, smoked salmon, olives, mild peppers and pickled veg with a little bruschetta.

Would go down well I reckon.

 

[EdwardTeach]

I would suggest something plain, and I wouldn't serve food with whisky - eat beforehand.

 

[lookitsjonno]

Some sort of steak perhaps

 

[michaelp]

Things like light cheeses, cured meats, smoked salmon, olives, mild peppers and pickled veg with a little bruschetta.

+1

 

[HeadlessChicken]

My Dad went on a whisky tasting session and they were serving antipasto selections. The flavours cut through the whisky nicely and were'nt too filling.

Things like light cheeses, cured meats, smoked salmon, olives, mild peppers and pickled veg with a little bruschetta.

Would go down well I reckon.

Exactly what I thought when i read your OP.

Bloody good food too!

 

[DcD]

Whisky isn't wine, you don't eat WITH whisky, you have whisky after. If you have to have food with your whisky, then something antipasto-like that robfosters suggested.

 

[chippie]

Thanks for the sugesstions everyone.

Dcd - You are correct, we will eat then have whisky, didn't quite make that clear in my original post!!

A nice simple steak does sound like a good idea...

 

[Stan_Lite]

My Dad went on a whisky tasting session and they were serving antipasto selections. The flavours cut through the whisky nicely and were'nt too filling.

Things like light cheeses, cured meats, smoked salmon, olives, mild peppers and pickled veg with a little bruschetta.

Would go down well I reckon.

Sounds good to me. I wouldn't have anything too spicy or too fatty (or too much garlic) - that'll spoil the palate for tasting the whisky. Antipasto or tapas on hand throughout the evening to snack on would be your best bet. Herby cheeses would probably work well. Also, wash food down with water or a light beer before tasting whisky again. Some whiskies have subtle flavours which could be masked or spoiled if you have food residue in your mouths.

Edit: Just saw your reply. If you're eating beforehand, you can have pretty much anything as long as you clear your palate after eating. Snacks throughout the evening wouldn't be a bad idea as well.

Don't listen to DcD, he hasn't a clue. You can eat with whisky, you just have to be careful with matching the whisky to the food. If you're having a whisky tasting session, this isn't really practical though.

 

[DcD]

Don't listen to DcD, he hasn't a clue. You can eat with whisky, you just have to be careful with matching the whisky to the food. If you're having a whisky tasting session, this isn't really practical though.

Quite frankly, I do. Thanks very much.

OP seems, to me, to be asking for a plan to sample various whiskies and compare the taste, properly. You can drink a bottle of red wine with beef wellington, but you cannot precisely compare that bottle to another because the taste of the beef wellington is adding in another factor. The fact is, if you have 6 bottles of whisky to try, you're not going to get an accurate measurement of the taste because of conflicting tastes in your mouth from the food.

All this **** about "It's perfectly fine to have whisky with a meal" is just rubbish. It's spouted by people who want to have something different than a foreign wine on their dining table because it makes them feel more bloody patriotic to have a Scottish malt instead. Simply put, I and many others I know who actually work in the industry, believe whisky doesn't go with any meal at all.

 

[Stan_Lite]

Quite frankly, I do. Thanks very much.

You don't.

All this **** about "It's perfectly fine to have whisky with a meal" is just rubbish. It's spouted by people who want to have something different than a foreign wine on their dining table because it makes them feel more bloody patriotic to have a Scottish malt instead. Simply put, I and many others I know who actually work in the industry, believe whisky doesn't go with any meal at all.

And this proves it.

Which industry? The food industry or the whisky industry?

I've been drinking good malts for many years and I can assure you that, whilst it's difficult matching whisky with food, it's not impossible. Desserts and cheeses are easier to pair with whisky but, if you try hard enough you can pair many dishes with whisky. Have you ever tried Lagavulin or Talisker with Scallops? Have you tried Bunnahabhain with orange chocolate tart? Have you tried a sherry cask Laphroaig with a lovely sharp Roquefort? I have and they all paired beautifully - along with many other combinations I have tried. I will admit that I've had more poor matches than good matches but I've had many good matches so, your assertion that "I and many others I know who actually work in the industry, believe whisky doesn't go with any meal at all" suggests to me that you (and the many others you refer to) aren't very good at your jobs. Anyone who dismisses something with so little knowledge should really look for another job to be honest.

I find your claim that "It's spouted by people who want to have something different than a foreign wine on their dining table because it makes them feel more bloody patriotic to have a Scottish malt instead" absolutely astonishing. For someone with (as your post has indicated) a very poor knowledge of the subject to suggest that my experiences are motivated by some sort of misguided patriotism, I find laughable and insulting at the same time.

Whichever industry you (and the others you mention) work in, it would appear you have a lot to learn and I would suggest you refrain from making such bold and sweeping statements until such time as you have learned your trade properly

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to have a glass of 1982 Caol Ila with mature cheddar and oatcakes - it'll taste disgusting (by your logic) but I'm pretty sure I'll manage to force it down

 

[Ahleckz]

The last whisky night that I went to (Auchentoshan/Glen Garioch), they had the whisky paired with cheese. I'd go with cheese, and make sure you do it right. Whisky, like any drink, can be paired with food. You just have to be really aware of the properties of the drink and the food. I'd keep it simple (blocks of cheese, rather than cheese and something) because you want the whisky to be the predominant experience - not the food.

lol, someone arguing with Stan about whisky. Good luck.

I'm enjoying my Glen Garioch Founder's Reserve with some sharp cheddar and oatcakes right now!

Whichever industry you (and the others you mention) work in, it would appear you have a lot to learn and I would suggest you refrain from making such bold and sweeping statements until such time as you have learned your trade properly

Quite. Just because you work in an industry, does not make you the authority on it. I've worked in the beer industry, I know very little about it. I currently work in the food industry, I wouldn't go up to Heston Blumenthal and tell him what he is doing is wrong because I work in the industry and my experience is different.

 

[jimmy321]

chocolate

 

[DcD]

You don't.



And this proves it.

Which industry? The food industry or the whisky industry?

I've been drinking good malts for many years and I can assure you that, whilst it's difficult matching whisky with food, it's not impossible. Desserts and cheeses are easier to pair with whisky but, if you try hard enough you can pair many dishes with whisky. Have you ever tried Lagavulin or Talisker with Scallops? Have you tried Bunnahabhain with orange chocolate tart? Have you tried a sherry cask Laphroaig with a lovely sharp Roquefort? I have and they all paired beautifully - along with many other combinations I have tried. I will admit that I've had more poor matches than good matches but I've had many good matches so, your assertion that "I and many others I know who actually work in the industry, believe whisky doesn't go with any meal at all" suggests to me that you (and the many others you refer to) aren't very good at your jobs. Anyone who dismisses something with so little knowledge should really look for another job to be honest.

I find your claim that "It's spouted by people who want to have something different than a foreign wine on their dining table because it makes them feel more bloody patriotic to have a Scottish malt instead" absolutely astonishing. For someone with (as your post has indicated) a very poor knowledge of the subject to suggest that my experiences are motivated by some sort of misguided patriotism, I find laughable and insulting at the same time.

Whichever industry you (and the others you mention) work in, it would appear you have a lot to learn and I would suggest you refrain from making such bold and sweeping statements until such time as you have learned your trade properly

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to have a glass of 1982 Caol Ila with mature cheddar and oatcakes - it'll taste disgusting (by your logic) but I'm pretty sure I'll manage to force it down

I didn't mean you specifically. I meant the foody-bloggers who think having something British or homegrown (like the current farse about English sparkling wines thanks to the Apprentice) is superior to something from abroad. I meant this fashion that's come about lately of having certain things purely because of their national identity and 'heritage'. I admit, it was a rather loose statement and probably required a bit more explanation. Apologies if you were insulted.

Yes whisky I suppose can work with food, in the sense of cheese or other very very very precise flavours. But if you're tasting the whisky for the whisky, just drink it on it's own. Please also note I said "any meal" not "any food". Having a meal at tea-time doesn't constitute having a skinful of whisky at the same time like you would a cheap wine or house wine at a restaurant.

Perhaps it's because I perceive whisky as being a far more delicate and selectively drank product than you - I'd choose a fine cigar over cheese and crackers any day.

 

[Glaucus]

What you mean English sparkling wine, that well before the apprentice. Won the worlds best sparkling wine. And beat every single heavy weight.

 

[Ahleckz]

I didn't mean you specifically. I meant the foody-bloggers who think having something British or homegrown (like the current farse about English sparkling wines thanks to the Apprentice) is superior to something from abroad. I meant this fashion that's come about lately of having certain things purely because of their national identity and 'heritage'. I admit, it was a rather loose statement and probably required a bit more explanation. Apologies if you were insulted.

Yes whisky I suppose can work with food, in the sense of cheese or other very very very precise flavours. But if you're tasting the whisky for the whisky, just drink it on it's own. Please also note I said "any meal" not "any food". Having a meal at tea-time doesn't constitute having a skinful of whisky at the same time like you would a cheap wine or house wine at a restaurant.

Perhaps it's because I perceive whisky as being a far more delicate and selectively drank product than you - I'd choose a fine cigar over cheese and crackers any day.

Stop embarrassing yourself.

English sparkling wine has been around for years, and is very well respected.

 

[DcD]

What you mean English sparkling wine, that well before the apprentice. Won the worlds best sparkling wine. And beat every single heavy weight.

I don't mean that it was started by the Apprentice. I'm sorry but I refuse to believe an English sparkling wine rival is as good as the best champagne from the Continent. Pricewise I suppose the value is much better and champagnes tend to be over priced, I can't believe that the French are beaten in their own game? Where did the supposed winning rivalry start about English sparkling wines?

 

[Glaucus]

Blind taste testing by world leading sommeliers, wine makers and others disagree with you, who has what qualification and blind tasted what?

Why do you find it hard to believe? We have the perfect climate for sparkling wine.

You complain about people being blind and buying local, yet you are the complete opposite and even worsen. Ignoring good produce due to location, rather than taste.

The Bollicine del Mondo is an international wine contest organized by Italy's leading wine magazine Euposia. Held at the famous restaurant Antico Bottega del Vino in Verona, Italy the contest revealed a surprise winner in the sparkling wine category. The winner this year was Nyetimber's Classic Cuvée 2003 produced in Sussex. It is probably the very first time a British wine maker has held the honors of producing the best bubbly in the world.



The contest winner was chosen in a blind taste test by a panel of winemakers, oenologists, sommeliers and journalists and beat out such established makers such as Bollinger and Louis Roederer. There were 52 entries in the category and Nyetimber was the only producer to have two wines make it into the top 17. The Nyetimber 2001 Blanc de Blancs, which was also entered, came in 12th ahead of seven of the champagnes.

Certainly there has been a growing appreciation recently of sparkling wines that are made outside the Champagne region of France. In fact, many people never have been exposed to the lovely sparkling wines that come from other countries such as Prosecco from Italy and Cava from Spain. Not only are these wines often just as good as Champagne but their price tag is significantly lower. The sparkling wines from England are no exception and retail for around £25 to £30.

Another point of interest is that the grapes used in the winning wine are grown on vines in the south of England whose soil composition is very similar to that of the Champagne region. In fact Luxist reported in 2007 that French champagne maker Roederer was investigating buying land in the very area that the winning vineyard is located. Stuart and Sandy Moss who own the vineyard specifically chose the 120 acre estate for this reason and started cultivating the three classic champagne varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.