Whisky and food

[evanstonwhisky]

Hey, I'm looking for any neat ideas regarding what foods to eat with whisky:

Here are my combos so far:

Ardbeg 10 with Pan-roasted beef frankfurters on toasted bread with mustard, mayo & ketchup

Laphoaig QC with a fine, flavorful cheese

Macallan 12 with a bowl of fresh fruit

Glenlivet 12 (all the restaurant had) with fish and chips mmm

Rebreast irish whisky with Shepherd's Pie

Doesn't whisky go great with food?

[The Third Dram]

Doesn't whisky go great with food?

It can, though I tend to avoid whisky and cheese combinations, as these can be (just like pairing wines and cheeses) problematic.

Just a few ideas:

Smoked salmon matches very well with many coastal and islands whiskies, as does shrimp, oysters or clams.
Sweet and sour as well as some spicy Chinese dishes (think roasted duck, beef with black bean sauce or sauteed mushrooms with vegetables, for instance) also pair nicely with a wide variety of whiskies.
Braised or roasted lamb is a 'natural' with Sherry matured Highland whiskies.
Cakes, pies and, of course, shortbread can be sublime with sweeter Highland and Lowland single malts.

[Ganga]

Very intriguing choices there. Maybe some things to try in the future.

Here is some discussion on whisky and food:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4017&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=mussels

[Aidan]

For me, whisky doesn't go with food at all. I just like whisky so much that I could have it with anything.

[TheCaptain]

Cheese and whisky after a nice meal can work well, a nice peaty malt and really stinky cheese.

I also like a softer whisky and chocolate cake.

[cathach]

I find Redbreast 12yo or Greenspot go very well with dark chocolate (70%). They seem to bring out lots of flavours in each other.

[OMGUI]

islay whisky and steak! I tried the 2 together at a steakhouse (all they had was bowmore 12). I have both together once in a while, when I feel like indulging. great combo, def recommended!

[vivbao]

Hakushu 12 seems to go well with both Japanese and Chinese food.

[ClubSmed]

I know that this is probably a complete no no but had anyone ever tried making Whisky jelly (jello)?

[scotchdrinker]

As I stated before i am not one for having food with my Whisky but, last night my father opened a bottle of A'bunadh Batch 21 and insisted we have it with some blue cheese. Before I had any cheese I did sample it thoroughly. I will say the two meshed amazingly together. If any of yo uhvae the chance you should try it.

[Liechtenstein]

I know that this is probably a complete no no but had anyone ever tried making Whisky jelly (jello)?

Interesting...do you put the whisky jelly onto crackers?

I'm just thinking: a good cracker, a smear of a favourite pâte, topped with a dab of whisky jelly. Sounds like great finger food at cocktail hour...

[ClubSmed]

I know that this is probably a complete no no but had anyone ever tried making Whisky jelly (jello)?

Interesting...do you put the whisky jelly onto crackers?

I'm just thinking: a good cracker, a smear of a favourite pâte, topped with a dab of whisky jelly. Sounds like great finger food at cocktail hour...

Sorry, I mean Whisky Jello for those across the pond

I have had some very nice whisky marmalade though....

[Liechtenstein]

Sorry, I mean Whisky Jello for those across the pond

I'm across the pond, where we drive on the right side...er, the correct side!

I can't imagine whisky jello...maybe the kids would like it!
I do like my pâte idea...I may try it!

I have had some very nice whisky marmalade though....

I do remember seeing some whisky-flavoured orange marmelade in a specialty store. It was a product from the UK. I didn't buy it at the time...

[ClubSmed]

I have had some very nice whisky marmalade though....

I do remember seeing some whisky-flavoured orange marmalade in a speciality store. It was a product from the UK. I didn't buy it at the time...

I have had quite a few Orange Marmalades made with whisky (they are quite readily available over here) and the best I have had to date is the one from the Edradour distillery shop.

On that note maybe an orange jello (jelly) made with whisky (a blend to experiment) would go well? I think I may try this later

[Liechtenstein]

On that note maybe an orange jello (jelly) made with whisky (a blend to experiment) would go well? I think I may try this later

I'll do the same over the weekend. I'll try unflavoured gelatine with whisky (for the cracker experiment.)

I'll let you know how it goes.

[Holysinner]

I've mostly shied away from food with whisky, but today I had some Laph QC with sushi (salmon rolls). I'd heard coastal/island whiskies pair well with sushi, and it was a worthwhile experience. The peat taste of the Laphroaig essentially disappeared - I'm guessing it was overwhelmed by wasabi - or remarkably, subtly carried over to the fish. On the whole, I think the sushi tasted a little better, but the whisky a little less so. A fair trade-off I suppose, but as I like whisky even more than sushi, not one I'm likely to repeat often.

To those who enjoy whisky with sushi, do you skip or go easy on wasabi and/or ginger?

I also bought a couple of quality cheeses which I plan to try with different drams, though I have no idea what would make for a good pairing.

[Liechtenstein]

Wow...Laphroaig meets its match! You must really load on the wasabi in order to have drowned out the Laph!

[ClubSmed]

I have had quite a few Orange Marmalades made with whisky (they are quite readily available over here) and the best I have had to date is the one from the Edradour distillery shop.

On that note maybe an orange jello (jelly) made with whisky (a blend to experiment) would go well? I think I may try this later

I have now made an Orange and Whisky Jello (jelly). I made a pint of it with sugar-free orange jello (jelly) crystals and 3 cap-fulls of Co-operative blended malt whisky. It did not smell too good when I mixed it but once it had sett it was another matter.
The result was actually rather good and a pleasant way of enjoying a whisky in the sun. I am not sure that I would waste and decent whisky on this though.

[ClubSmed]

I also bought a couple of quality cheeses which I plan to try with different drams, though I have no idea what would make for a good pairing.

I think that there are some very nice whisky/ cheese combinations, I look forward to hearing about your views and recommendations on this.

[Liechtenstein]

I tried the whisky jelly on crackers today. This is how I made it:

¼ cup boiling water
¼ cup whisky (Jim Beam white label)
¼ cup cold water
1 envelope Knox gelatine

I followed the instructions on the package of Knox gelatine.

I smeared crackers with a liver pâte, then added a dab of gelatine, then topped that off with a caper. On some crackers, I added a slice of cucumber. As a control, I also made crackers with port wine jelly, same assemblage. My wife and I were the judges.

VERDICT:

First, the whisky jelly was much too firm. We resolved to add more liquid the next time.

Second, the whisky jelly was insipid. We resolved to add more whisky the next time.

Third, in order to enhance the whisky taste, we resolved to add a bit of sugar the next time.

Overall judgement: we will do this again. We are still determining the quantities we must use.

Uh...yes, the port wine jelly was the winner for today.

[Holysinner]

Interesting results on the whisky jellies, gentlemen! Keep it up (so I don't have to).

I also bought a couple of quality cheeses which I plan to try with different drams, though I have no idea what would make for a good pairing.

I think that there are some very nice whisky/ cheese combinations, I look forward to hearing about your views and recommendations on this.

The only pairing I've tried so far really didn't work for me. A delicious (on it's own) creamy havarti with Glenmorangie The Original. The cheese became overly salty, and the whisky became very wine-y, and somewhat bitter. I'm not going to try another whisky with this havarti, I just can't imagine it working with anything, really.

The other cheese I got is a fine aged asiago...I'm thinking a sherried whisky, so that means Macallan 12. I'll probably give it a try tomorrow, though I'm not terribly optimistic after today's experiment.

[scotchdrinker]

The only pairing I've tried so far really didn't work for me. A delicious (on it's own) creamy havarti with Glenmorangie The Original. The cheese became overly salty, and the whisky became very wine-y, and somewhat bitter. I'm not going to try another whisky with this havarti, I just can't imagine it working with anything, really.

The other cheese I got is a fine aged asiago...I'm thinking a sherried whisky, so that means Macallan 12. I'll probably give it a try tomorrow, though I'm not terribly optimistic after today's experiment.

You could also try a blue cheese with either a sherried whisky or if you have at your disposal a Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban. A nice Parmesan will go with certain whiskies also.

[Holysinner]

You could also try a blue cheese with either a sherried whisky or if you have at your disposal a Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban. A nice Parmesan will go with certain whiskies also.

Good ideas. I don't know whether I like blue cheese though.


I tried the asiago with Macallan 12 tonight, and it wasn't bad at all. The sharp and tart qualities of the asiago really came to the fore, but it also brought out some sweetness in the cheese. The whisky character didn't change much, from Christmas pudding to slightly burnt Christmas pudding, but the difference was not unpleasant. Overall, nothing earth-shattering but the two complement one another fairly well.

[Liechtenstein]

My last whisky jelly having been a flop on crackers, I tasted the jelly neat to see what was missing. It wasn't really good, being insipid and having a bitter aftertaste.

I was going to throw it out but then I decided to offer the jelly to my always-hungry dog, Loulou. Loulou wouldn't touch the stuff!

Here is the new recipe:

-¼ cup whisky + whisky to get a total volume of ½ cup liquid
-1 tbsp. (15ml) granulated sugar
-pinch of salt
-2 1/8 tsp. (+/- 11ml) gelatine powder

I heated ¼ cup whisky in the microwave 21 seconds and disolved the gelatine powder, sugar and salt into that. The volume of this mixture increased with the powders; I then added enough cold whisky to bring the total volume of liquid to ½ cup.

I covered this and put it in the refrigerator.

Again, I used Jim Beam's white label bourbon. When the jelly was set, I smeared crackers with a liver pâte, added a dab of whisky jelly and a caper. As a control group, I made an equal amount of crackers with store-bought port wine jelly, same assemblage.

VERDICT:

The whisky jelly's consistency was similar to that of the store bought port wine jelly. (A perfect 10!) The flavour was...powerful...no, let me re-write that: POWER-FULL. It just overwhelmed the sissy pâte and all we could taste was Mr. Beam's fine product. The sugar and salt really helped get rid of the bitter aftertaste that gelatine seems to give. This is one great whisky jelly!

But it would have no commercial success: it isn't delicate enough and as such would only please whisky lovers. As the recipe stands above, it should only be served with gamey meets as it needs a firm foundation that it won't overwhelm...maybe a mutlgrain cracker would be in order too.

I certainly won't be offering this jelly to my dog or my garbage pail. IT'S ALL MINE! ...but I'll try again next week to make a more refined jelly.

[Reggaeblues]

Had smoked salmon for lunch with Bushmills(a gift)

tonight it'll be strickly vegan - brown rice, stir fried veg, and with JW Green

[Trappa]

Roquefort cheese and Talisker 10yo,is an excellent combo

[Liechtenstein]

Whisky jelly stirred into softened chocolate ice cream.

[Liechtenstein]

After my third try, I have a whisky jelly that is good! Here is the recipe:

-2 ounces Crown Royal (+/- 30ml)
-½ teaspoon gelatine powder (2.5ml)
-pinch of salt
-maple syrup (approx 2 oz.)

I heated the Crown Royal 21 seconds in my microwave, added the salt and the gelatine powder. I blended this with a whisk. To this mixture, I added enough maple syrup to get 4 oz of liquid. I blended this with a whisk, covered the mixture and put it in the refrigerator.

When set, I put a pâte on crackers and added a dab of whisky jelly. Both my wife and I loved the taste. My wife is not a whisky person (of course, she's a girl!) but she enjoyed the jelly and gave it her blessing.

This is something we would serve to guests.

[pkt77242]

After my third try, I have a whisky jelly that is good! Here is the recipe:

-2 ounces Crown Royal (+/- 30ml)
-½ teaspoon gelatine powder (2.5ml)
-pinch of salt
-maple syrup (approx 2 oz.)

I heated the Crown Royal 21 seconds in my microwave, added the salt and the gelatine powder. I blended this with a whisk. To this mixture, I added enough maple syrup to get 4 oz of liquid. I blended this with a whisk, covered the mixture and put it in the refrigerator.

When set, I put a pâte on crackers and added a dab of whisky jelly. Both my wife and I loved the taste. My wife is not a whisky person (of course, she's a girl!) but she enjoyed the jelly and gave it her blessing.

This is something we would serve to guests.

Now this sounds good Liechtenstein. I might have to get a bottle of Crown Royal after all.

Sean

[Liechtenstein]

Now this sounds good Liechtenstein. I might have to get a bottle of Crown Royal after all.

Crown Royal can also be used as a marinade for steaks or chicken on the BBQ.

For the jelly recipe, I think a bourbon would do just fine...as well as any Lowlander such as Auchentoshan or Glenlivet.

[ClubSmed]

This is a warning not to try hot salsa with a whisky!

have just had some Doritos with hot salsa then tried to sip a whisky (Jura Superstition) and it seemed that the salsa had stripped my tongue and made it far to sensitive to handle a strong spirit.

[johan brugge]

I joined a whisky dinner once, wich was really good. But in general I drink my whisky a few hours before or after a meal so my taste buds are not 'infected' and I drink water in between sips.

[ClubSmed]

I joined a whisky dinner once, wich was really good. But in general I drink my whisky a few hours before or after a meal so my taste buds are not 'infected' and I drink water in between sips.

By doing that you do avoid experiences like the one I had with the salsa but you also miss out on many experiences that enhance the whisky flavour profile.
Personally I think it is worth the risk

[Liechtenstein]

After my third try, I have a whisky jelly that is good! Here is the recipe:

-2 ounces Crown Royal (+/- 30ml)
-½ teaspoon gelatine powder (2.5ml)
-pinch of salt
-maple syrup (approx 2 oz.)

I heated the Crown Royal 21 seconds in my microwave, added the salt and the gelatine powder. I blended this with a whisk. To this mixture, I added enough maple syrup to get 4 oz of liquid. I blended this with a whisk, covered the mixture and put it in the refrigerator.

How something ages is important as well...for whisky jelly and for people also.

For my whisky jelly, after two weeks in the refrigerator, the jelly became quite firm...too firm, really, for use on crackers. Even warmed to room temperature, it was too firm. I will repeat the recipe and lower the quantity of gelatine powder.

On the upside, the aroma and taste of the product improved remarkably.

[johan brugge]

I think whisky and food can go very well together. When it's getting warm I usually mix lettuce, tomatoes, smoked trout and lots of vinaigrette. I always drink it with a smokey, peaty whisky. Very nice!