2 Cocktail And Dessert Pairings You Need To Try
You can have your cake and a cocktail too — coffee and liqueurs are not the only after-dinner drinks to be enjoyed with dessert, but you do have to be thoughtful. A salty and acidic margarita paired with a caramel apple tart is probably not the vibe, but Cedric Vongerichten, executive chef and owner of Wayan in New York City, has some ideas. He is also one of the many renowned chefs participating in the City Harvest food and drink tasting event, so he definitely knows how to make a great pairing.
When it comes to drinking a cocktail with dessert, Vongerichten likes to evoke similar vibes with both the beverage and bite. "Pairing cocktails with baked goods is all about complementing flavors," he told Food Republic. He suggested chocolate cake and an espresso martini as a perfect example. The acidity of the coffee cuts through some of the richness of the cake while also enhancing the flavor of the chocolate. Meanwhile, the sweetness of the chocolate rounds out the sharpness of the alcohol and bitterness of the espresso. This combination evokes a mocha latte in the best way, and it is one of Vongerichten's go-tos.
An old fashioned goes great with pecan pie
As for another dessert and cocktail pairing that Cedric Vongerichten loves, he told Food Republic, "If I eat a pecan pie[,] I like to pair it with a classic old fashioned." This popular digestif has a hint of sweetness but enough bite from the spirit so that it is not a cloying combination. Additionally, the bitters in an old fashioned provide balance to the sugary filling and buttery crust, perfect to pair with a bourbon-forward pecan pie.
However, you do want to avoid a whiskey that has very pronounced pepper, smoke, and peat flavors, so it is best to avoid Scotch whisky. Instead, opt for a bourbon or whiskey that leans more in a dessert direction to create a like-with-like pairing — Tennessee whiskey is a good choice here thanks to its hints of caramel. Depending on the bottle, various whiskeys can have tasting notes of warm spices, honey, vanilla, toasted nuts, and more, making for a perfect pairing with pecan pie.