The breadth of the flavours that can be found in scotch offers a variety of options when pairing with foods from around the world. Using innovative and fresh guidelines in pairing can make you a star at your next dinner party this holiday season. We connected with Jamie Johnson, Ambassador of The Balvenie Scotch who gave us insight into elevating the art of food pairings by harmonizing the diverse flavours of scotch.
“While The Balvenie takes a traditional approach in making our whisky, we like to take a fresh approach to pairings. We enjoy pairing with artisanal fare, whether caught, foraged, or crafted lovingly by hand is a no-brainer when it comes to pairing with The Balvenie,” says Johnson.
About Balvenie
After much success with Glenfiddich, William Grant purchased the land where Balvenie Castle stood and created his second distillery – The Balvenie in 1892. The Balvenie is a range of single malt whiskies crafted by Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE. For 60 years, as of September 3rd, 2022, Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE has developed incomparable knowledge and skills which have seen him produce award-winning whiskies.
Each expression is unique, but all are rich, luxuriously smooth and underpinned by a distinctive honeyed character. The whisky-making process for Balvenie is dedicated to maintaining the Five Rare Crafts and they are the only distillery in Scotland that still grows its barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps both a coppersmith and a team of coopers on site. Consistently impressive Balvenie scotch is desired and loved by enthusiasts around the world.
The Balvenie is a range of award-winning single malt whiskies. From cask finishes to rare marriages to the stories collection and the many limited edition creations, these bottles are exclusively adored by many and are looked at as incredibly special bottles to have in a collection and also to open, sip and share with friends.
Cocktail vs neat
Serving scotch creatively as an aperitif is the ideal way to start a gathering. “A scotch cocktail is a perfect way to open a dinner party,” says Johnson. The Balvenie offers up a great repertoire of cocktails to make at home. Beginning your dinner party with a reception that educates your guests about how to use scotch in a cocktail is a great way to break the ice, provide a light way for guests to meet one another and also a wonderful way to introduce everyone to the versatility of scotch.
When it comes to serious pairings of food and scotch, Johnson recommends focusing on serving the scotch neat with each course so the original and true flavours work in tandem. Providing appropriate scotch glassware, serving neat and/or with ice and showcasing the bottle you’re serving with each course is essential.
Serving scotch creatively as an aperitif is the ideal way to start a gathering. “A scotch cocktail is a perfect way to open a dinner party,” says Johnson. The Balvenie offers up a great repertoire of cocktails to make at home. Beginning your dinner party with a reception that educates your guests about how to use scotch in a cocktail is a great way to break the ice, provide a light way for guests to meet one another and also a wonderful way to introduce everyone to the versatility of scotch.
Cheese & charcuterie pairings
While everyone is enjoying a cocktail or perhaps sipping a glass neat, serving up a charcuterie platter before dinner is a fantastic way to kick off an epic night. “One of my favourite things to pair with Balvenie 12 that works well through all seasons is an artisanal charcuterie and cheese board sourced from local shops,” says Johnson. She recommends serving Balvenie Doublewood 12 with a locally inspired cheese and meat board (make it Instagram-worthy!) as the saltiness of the cured meats along with contrasting the sweetness of the Balvenie creates a unique and ultra-memorable experience for one’s palate.
Caught & Foraged
When it comes to fresh and rustic flavour profiles Balvenie offers a complementary pairing platform. Johnson shares that Balvanie scotch has, “a plethora of textures, profiles and depths of flavours to pair even with the most wild, elegant and delicious of food pairings. This can also include freshly caught oysters that pair with The Balvenie Week of Peat.” Balvenie also truly compliments the wild and umami flavours of mushrooms and can even pair well with plank-grilled salmon and many other seafood items. The honeyed notes of DoubleWood pair well with salt and umami so look for flavours that both contrast and complement these characteristics.
Garden & farm
Pairing Balenvie with items From the Garden and also from the farm is another great way to bring out the best of both worlds. For instance, a fresh Tomato Gazpacho paired with The Balvenie French Oak is quite the delight on one’s palate. Or try a skirt steak with Asparagus Paired with The Balvenie Caribbean Cask. Dressed in honey butter and a touch of salt, corn on the cob and Balvenie 12-Year-Old Doublewood offer an intriguing adventure for your palate. The sweetness of the Canadian corn complements the honeyed notes of the Balvenie 12. If you’re looking to take your pairings up a notch and bring Balvenie into the dessert category, pair a peach galette with The Balvenie Sweet Toast of American Oak.
Go extravagant
Looking to splurge? Johnson suggests hosting a Scotch and Caviar tasting. “I’ve seen some of my colleagues do an extravagant pairing of caviar and Balvenie, and it always goes over well,” she says. A surprise and delight moment this salt and umami pairing will be one for the memory books! Our recommendation is to try different types of caviar with the various styles of Balvenie and find your favourite.
Keep exploring
Johnson encourages us to stay adventurous and keep exploring wild and wonderful pairings. “Whether it’s donuts or chocolate, do not discount any style of pairings because they’re not ‘supposed’ to go together,” she says, ”Enjoy yourself! Have fun with it and be creative! Nothing is off-limits! Play around with both complementary and contrasting flavours and find a new favourite way to enjoy Balvenie.”
About Jamie Johnson
Toronto-based Jamie Johnson, National Brand Ambassador, is a highly respected whisky champion and conversationalist known for hosting tasting events and masterclasses across Canada as well as co-hosting the popular weekly whisky podcast, The Whisky Topic, and writing extensively about Bourbon and various other kinds of whisky for Whisky Buzz and various online publications. Johnson’s in-depth knowledge of whisky began with a personal passion project when she invited friends to her Toronto home to share drams and have spirited conversations about flavour, taste, production process, and so on. This informal gathering grew, as interest in contemporary whisky spread outwards, and soon Bourbon Thing became a real thing, with events in bars and restaurants, a fully-fledged website and partnerships with some of the city’s most well-respected bartenders, providing a space for whisky aficionados and neophytes alike to share a dram. Before long, Jamie realized she had found her life’s work – to spread the word about whisky
