How to Pair Cocktails with Food: A Guide to Bold Flavor Combos
Pairing Cocktails and Food: A Flavor Adventure
Pairing food and drink is one of life’s great pleasures. It doesn’t have to be some pinky-up, fine-dining ritual. A street taco and a cold Mexican lager can hit just as hard as a cabernet and dry-aged ribeye. Pairing is about enhancing the moment—and when done right, it lights up your senses.
Alcohol helps unlock flavor by amplifying aroma. Since smell makes up so much of taste, the right drink can turn a good meal into a full-on experience.
But the real magic happens when you bring people into it. Sharing a meal. Passing around new drinks. Playing with pairings. It’s all a kind of creative exploration—part science, part story, part happy accident.
Wine gets a lot of the spotlight in pairing conversations. And sure, there’s a deep tradition there. But we think cocktails deserve a seat at the table—especially when they’re dialed back to the 10–15% ABV range. Lower-alcohol cocktails can go toe-to-toe with your favorite dishes, offering depth, nuance, and a whole lot of versatility.
Here are a few tips from our own pairing experiments:
1. Bitterness
Bitterness balances richness and salt—and even brings something interesting to sweet dishes. A bitter cocktail can cut through the fat in fried chicken or elevate the sugar in a dessert.
2. Alcohol Content
Lighter drinks tend to pair well with lighter fare. Higher-ABV cocktails? Save those for the bold dishes. Just be mindful with spicy food—alcohol can turn up the heat. (Which might be your thing. No judgment.)
3. Sweetness
As a rule of thumb, the drink should be sweeter than the dish. A touch of sugar can tame spicy heat and pairs beautifully with umami-heavy bites.
4. Flavor Complexity
Here’s where things get wild—in the best way. Cocktails with herbal, smoky, or woody notes open up a world of possibilities. Mezcal and BBQ. Aquavit and grain bowls. Gin with grilled fish. Don’t overthink it—play it out in your head, then in your mouth.
At Mettle, our cocktails are made to match real appetites—for flavor, for fun, for company. One of my personal go-tos? Nordic Summer with Baja Fish Tacos. Refreshing, citrusy, a little herbal. It just works.
Food, drink, and good company are for everyone. So experiment. Share. Laugh when a pairing flops and high-five when it hits. The best meals aren’t perfect—they’re memorable.
We live in an insanely creative culinary world. Take advantage of it. Try something new. Fail gloriously. Surprise yourself. And above all:
Celebrate what you create.
Be Out There.
Cheers,
Nate Wannlund, Founder