Whisky Expert Gives Advice On How To Best Pair Whisky With Food

scotch whiskey

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Ordering whiskey, bourbon, and scotch can be a daunting task when you’re not sure where to begin. I’ve only been clued into the scotch whiskey world for several years and I still feel like I’m pretty much a novice. I have the bottles at home that I know and love and usually, when I’m at a bar and ordering scotch I’ll order something I’m familiar with because I don’t want to make a mistake.

Ewan Gunn is Diageo’s in-house Whiskey Master. If the name Diageo doesn’t ring a bell, it should. They own Johnnie Walker, Bulleit, George Dickel’s, Talisker, Lagavulin, Oban, J&B, and A TON more brands. Suffice it to say that Ewan Gunn is one of the foremost experts in the scotch whiskey world. He recently sat down with Alison Millington of Business Insider where they discussed the ‘three most common mistakes’ people make ordering and drinking whiskey. I was most interested in what he had to say about pairing it with food:

Don’t just drink it after dinner — pair it with food
“When it comes to the holidays, people enjoy eating lots of rich and flavoursome foods, and a lot of people are increasingly enjoying Scotch whisky paired with foods,” Gunn said.
He added that, while there’s a preconceived idea that whisky only works with heavy food, there’s actually a range of dishes you can pair it with.
“Talisker with oysters is incredible, and Lagavulin paired with blue cheese,” he said. He added that Haig Club and crème brûlée is another recommended pairing. (via)

If I could just have an app that would tell me which whiskeys to pair with various food dishes I’d be elated. I have a pretty extensive home bar, and I love drinking bourbon, scotch, and whiskey. But I’m not really good at pairing them. I just drink what I like and I like what I drink. Going forward, I think I’ll have to pick up some Talisker because oysters are a staple in my diet down here in Florida.

Check out the other two most common mistakes people make when ordering whiskey HERE on Business Insider.

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Cass Anderson is the Editor-in-Chief of BroBible. Based out of Florida, he covers an array of topics including NFL, Pop Culture, Fishing News, and the Outdoors.