The Perfect Course To Pair With Bourbon

Pairing alcohol with food is a time-honored tradition, but it's not always intuitive for casual drinkers. A Cabernet Franc is a wine that pairs well with corned beef, rich white wines generally go best with chicken or fish, and beer has a myriad of optimal food accompaniments based on its flavor profile. When it comes to bourbon, however, you'll want to seek out the sweeter things in life.

You can find many suggestions online regarding what pairs favorably with whiskey, but we decided to reach out to an expert to know for sure. Chris Blatner is an Executive Bourbon Steward and creator of @‌urbanbourbonist on Instagram, and when asked about which foods are best to enjoy the brown liquor with, he pointed to desserts. He says, "In general with something like bourbon which is sweeter and tends to have flavors of vanilla, caramel, toffee, and other sweeter notes, you can't go wrong with desserts like chocolates, ice cream, cookies, and cakes."

Food paired with alcohol should harmonize with the spirit, and vice versa; and while sometimes that means balancing astringency against fattiness or bitterness with sweetness, other times, putting like with like just makes sense. 

Because bourbon is often sweeter than other whiskeys, flavors like vanilla and chocolate elevate the spirit and, at the same time, give your palate a break from the fiery bite that whiskey can bear. Chris Blatner emphasizes the advantage of pairing like flavors together. "I mostly like to focus on complimentary flavors from the whiskey when pairing with food so it will vary depending on what you are tasting," he says. From an elegant, layered chocolate vanilla cake to a modest Little Debbie chocolate cupcake with creamy filling, there is a plethora of choices when pairing chocolate with bourbon. 

Instead of vanilla, you could match a chocolate orange dessert with your dram. Bourbon cocktails are commonly garnished with an orange tweel or slice because the bright citrus flavor highlights the fruity undertones in the liquor. The rich, fatty taste of chocolate and the zesty taste of orange are a match made in heaven, and they both complement the bourbon with their opposing profiles.

Chocolate isn't your only choice when pairing desserts with a dram. When Chris Blatner mentions sweets, he cites ice cream as an option, and this makes perfect sense when you consider ice cream is composed primarily of milk and sugar. Milk is commonly used as a palate cleanser for alcohol because the milk fats neutralize the bitter tannins that contribute to the profile of the spirit. A spoonful of vanilla ice cream can accent the vanilla and toffee flavors of the liquor while at the same time. 

Cookies would also work to elevate a bourbon, depending on the flavor. Chocolate cookies may pair nicely, but a toffee and white chocolate chip cookie might be even better. The sweetness of the white chocolate would tame the bitterness of the spirit, and the toffee would highlight the nuttier tastes that linger in the glass. 

If you want to try pairing bourbon with something a bit fancier, tiramisu — a dessert that started as a happy accident — has everything you're looking for. The chocolate and creaminess from the mascarpone would break up the heat. Meanwhile, the subtle hints of espresso would reset your taste buds so you could fully appreciate all the nuanced flavors in the liquor. Bourbon should be enjoyed to the fullest, and including complimentary sweets alongside your glass is one of the best ways to get the most out of your spirit — and start tasting whiskey like a pro.