Kitchen With Britt We had a few really fun Bourbon Tastings/Food Pairing events this past week and I wanted to share some of the info related to the tasting and pairing, as well as recipes from some of the food that we made!
Here is my go-to formula for a great bourbon tasting!
Chocolate, nuts & cheese are the 3 secrets (aside from good booze!) to a successful pairing!
My rule of thumb is to first arrange your bourbons by proof; lowest to highest. We always start with the lowest and work our way up. As we increase in proof, the intensity increases as well, therefore we want to take it step by step.
As far as flavors are concerned, here is a brief breakdown of how our 3 ‘secret’ ingredients fit into place:
Chocolate: Works at bringing out vanilla & caramel tasting notes. The alcohol helps to enhance the aromatics of the chocolate and the fat in the chocolate helps to coat the tongue while taking the bite out of the alcohol.
Nuts: Almonds & walnuts, in particular, pair well. They boast robust earthiness without overwhelming the palate. They can bring out smokiness and char flavors in a nice Tennessee bourbon. Cashews pair very well with rye.
Cheese: Cheese is best saved for your higher proofed alcohols. The higher fat content really coats the palate so that the flavors of the bourbon can shine!
I wanted to share some of the recipes for the foods that we enjoyed during our tastings as well as my bourbon cream recipe! Hope you enjoy, and please let me know if you have any questions!
Recipe Card
Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Start by heating up a few tablespoons of olive oil, toss in your onions, celery and leeks and cook until translucent. Add your garlic & fresh thyme. After about 1 minute, add your wine and cook it off. Pour in the stock & crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Toss in your tortellini, chicken, kale & cream. Simmer until everything is warmed through. Serve with fresh basil & shaved parmesan!
Recipe Card
Bourbon Cream
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Add all ingredients to a blender and boom! You made bourbon cream!
Recipe Card
Bourbon Balsamic Glazed Steak Crostini
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Let steak get to room temperature & season with salt and pepper. Grill to perrrrrfection and place on cutting board to rest, carefully glaze pan with bourbon and balsamic for a minute, or until it thickens a bit. Slice steak and serve on crostini with bourbon glaze & blue cheese!
Brown Butter Bourbon Oatmeal Cookies Recipe & Video!
