Whisky and food can be a terrible combination or sublime. Unlike sake or beer, there’s rarely any middle ground. This is true for Japanese whisky, bourbon, and Scotch.
In my 15+ years in the restaurant industry, I’ve tried many different whisky and food pairings. Most of them sucked, but a few were pure gold. I share some of the best whisky and food pairings I’ve experienced in this article.
General Whisky and Food Pairings
In general, whisky is powerful, rich, and boozy. It pairs best with rich food, and not so well with delicate cuisine like sushi. Adding a bit of water or a few ice cubes opens whisky to more solid pairing opportunities.
These combinations tend to work well.
- Dessert
- Chocolate
- Grilled beef
- BBQ
- nuts
Pairing Smoky, Peaty Whisky and Food
Scotch is the home of the original peated whiskies. But Japanese brands like Nikka Yoichi, Hakushu, and Akkeshi also tend to be smoky and peaty. Bourbon aged with heavily charred casks also falls into this category.
- Raw oysters
- Scotch and oysters is a classic pairing. It translates well to peaty Japanese whiskies.
- Grilled mackerel – saba shioyaki
- Smoked salmon
- Braised, smoked, or stewed meat
- Dark chocolate
- Aged cheese
- Apples, pears
- Dried figs, dates
- Cigars
Fruity Whisky and Food
Yamazaki is a supreme Japanese whisky known for its fruitiness. Nikka Miyagikyo is another.
- Vanilla and caramel-based dessert
- Creme brulee
- Chocolate
- Grilled salmon
- Roasted pork
- Duck
- Black cod miso yaki
Spicy Whisky Food Pairings
Spicy whiskies like rye can make for some intriguing results with food.
- Creme brulee
- brownies
- Braised, smoked, or stewed meat
- Dark chocolate
- Firm cheese
Pure Malt Whisky and Food
Pure malt Japanese whisky is a blend of two single malts from different distilleries. Nikka’s Teketsuru is the best example of this style. Few other producers have the facilities to make this type of whisky.
- aged parmesan cheese
Sherry Cask Finished Whisky and Food
Sherry cask aging adds nutty, fruity, and oxidative notes to whisky. Match your food and these flavors for good results.
- Cured meat
- oysters
- Shrimp tempura
- Bitter dark chocolate
- nuts
Mizunara Cask Whisky Food Pairing
Japanese mizunara oak imparts notes of sandalwood, aloe, ginger, and honey to whisky. Look for these elements in food to make the best pairings.
- Creme brulee
- Pickled ginger
Koji Whisky and Food
Koji whisky is essentially a style of shochu. But it tastes and looks like whisky, though it’s often light and fruity. This is one of the only types of whisky I like to pair with sashimi or sushi.
- Oily fish sashimi
- Toro, hamachi, nishin
- Hamachi and salmon collar
- Pork
- duck
- Apples, pears
Cask Strength Whisky with Food
Generally, super strong whisky and food are a terrible combination unless it’s diluted. The exception to this is rich, sweet desserts
- dessert
- especially with pastry, caramel, coconut, vanilla, or chocolate elements
Whisky Highball and Food Pairings
Whisky highballs receive honorable mention. They’re easy to make and can handle almost any dish available at an izakaya.
- Fried food
- sushi, sashimi
- especially complex sushi rolls
- grilled meat like yakitori and hamachi kama