Seriously Heavenly Food And Spirit Pairings

Get ready to excite your taste buds by learning the art of pairing high-end spirits with sumptuous chocolate. Welcome to Gastronomic Heaven.

Time to excite our taste buds! A pairing of high-end spirits with sumptuous chocolate is a luxurious gastronomic experience guaranteed to break out of the norm. For a sophisticated ending to a dinner party, why not spice up after-dinner rituals by pairing your favourite sweet treat with its perfect accompaniment?

The staff at Alexander & James, new online spirits retailer, has taken on the burden for the rest of us and experimented with a number of spirits and food pairings … all in the name of science, of course. The results are in! Here is an ambrosial of combinations for you to try out this weekend :)

Chocolate & single malt

Few after-dinner treats compare with a good malt whisky, but it might surprise you to know just how well it can blend with a high-quality chocolate. Alexander & James has been sampling Talisker 10 year old whisky with a sea salt caramel bar from top chocolatier William Curley. The saltiness of the chocolate enhances the salty flavour notes of the Talisker, making it the ideal after-dinner pairing for those who wouldn’t normally choose whisky after a meal. The dominant notes of peat, lime and sea salt give scope for some interesting flavour combinations, but take our word for it – sea salt and dark chocolate accompanied by a glass of whisky cannot be beaten.

Oh tequila!

The complexity and richness of flavour offered by a luxury tequila is often overlooked. The robustness of the spirit means it stands up well and continues to delight the palate even after a rich meal. The staff loved the pairing of luxury brand Don Julio Reposado with a honey ganache by Rococo. The spicy warmth and honey tones of the tequila were beautifully complemented by the rich sweetness of the ganache. This was the favourite combination, and converted even the non-tequila drinkers on the team to the unique properties of this spirit.

Rum stuff

With rums like Zacapo XO, which offer already liquid-gold nectar for the senses, it can be tricky to find a chocolate treat which doesn’t distract from the toffee notes of this luxury spirit. In the end, the team opted for the surprising combination of a slightly tart mango and passion fruit ganache, which cut through the sweetness of the rum. This could work equally well with the fruits themselves, should you be looking for a slightly more colourful (or dare we say healthy?) alternative to a piece of chocolate.