Mixologists are the new hotties of the food world; and when they & restaurant chefs work symbiotically, we are all rewarded with fabulous, mind-blowing cocktail pairings.
Mixing cocktails is actually quite easy and gives you control of the overall flavor, thus, the overall pairing. Just decide on a dish, devise a flavor that goes well with it, use that as the cocktail's main flavor profile, and then play with the subtleties -- secondary flavors, acidity, sweetness, bitterness, etc.
Dreaming up food & cocktail pairings is pretty fun, then experimenting with flavors and textures is -- well, when you nail it, it can be extremely satisfying.
For my last dinner party I served shrimp & crab potstickers. I wanted a matching cocktail with simple, clean, refreshing flavors. Lemon really sings with seafood, fresh ginger went with the Asian theme, and both flavors are clean and refreshing. I tinkered around with a ginger martini recipe I found online, then added Lime Perrier for texture and to reduce the alcohol level, and lemon verbena to put it over the edge. I gave the combo a test run and that was it -- that was the match -- it was just the flavor profile I was looking for.
Crab & Prawn Potstickers with Chipotle-Lime Crema
(If memory serves, pretty close to what I did the other night -- and it made about 40)
