As a bartender, I often hear clients rave about the best drinks and food combinations they have had in New York. From the delicious bar bites to the amazing food and wine selections at certain establishments, there are tons of great foods and drinks to pair well with just about any cocktail. A lot of people have no idea though how to create a successful cocktail or what food goes best with a drink. I’ll share some tricks of the trade that should help you come up with a great New York cocktail or appetizer.
The best thing to do is think like a chef when it comes to choosing food to pair with a cocktail. First of all, base your cocktail choice on whether you’re having a lunchtime, dinner or both. If you’re having a cocktail for lunchtime, you’ll want something light and airy, such as salads, chicken strips and light toast with a light olive oil dressing. If you’re having dinner, something heavier and more substantial would be the best option, possibly including steak or seafood pasta with a duck egg white sauce.
For a snack during the day, potato chips and macaroni and cheese are a great combination. You can also do an interesting variation on the mac and cheese by using cream cheese instead of the macaroni. Another great combination is potato chips and peanut butter, with the snack being a cheese dip. There are so many interesting variations that you can try that you’re almost guaranteed to come up with a winner.
As far as deserts go, nothing goes better with a drink than chocolate truffles. Although they are typically served with an espresso shot, you can also pair them with a nice iced coffee or tea to really amp up the deliciousness. If you don’t have any dairy products in your refrigerator, you can also substitute coconut milk for the milk, making a coconut milk truffle the perfect drink for a cold night. Drinks pairing well with chocolate can also include mints. You may have trouble finding mint juleps at your local Starbucks, but you can make your own!
As far as dessert drinks go, you can easily match up fruity desserts with sweet drinks. Pairing mangoes with an orange drink is a tasty combination, especially when you keep some water coming to avoid the mango juice from melting too much. Pairing fresh strawberries with rich chocolate will make any party a success, since the rich chocolate will cut through the richness of the strawberries. Drinks and foods that go well together can also include cookies and brownies, although it is tricky to find dessert drinks that are high in carbs, such as pies and brownies.
The best drinks and food pairings serve as inspiration for creative food combinations. It’s important to remember to keep your consumption limited to alcohol alone, and limit your serving sizes of high-calorie foods. When you are mixing alcoholic beverages with unhealthy snacks, however, you must balance the two to create a healthy, low-calorie drink. There are many healthy, low-calorie choices for any combination you might come up with. The key is to experiment and see what combinations you and your friends find most enjoyable.
