All you need to know about whisky and food pairings

Generally speaking, women are not known for their fondness of whisky. Perhaps our delicate palates have evolved in a different way than that of our male counterparts and we don’t enjoy that burning sensation in the stomach which is guaranteed to happen once we take a sip of the strong liquor.

But let’s not play the gender game here, because when we talk about food and whisky pairing – it is a totally different story.

While aficionados would normally prefer to drink their whisky ‘neat’ or ‘on the rocks’, we’ve personally found that along with the right dish, whisky can be surprisingly female-friendly.

As Whisky Live event has taken over Singapore this weekend and having tried various successful whisky and food pairings ourselves in the past few months, we were intrigued on this relatively new ‘trend’ and since we’re no experts on the topic, we sought the advice and opinion someone who is.

Matthew Fergusson-Stewart, the regional Brand Ambassador for William Grant & Sons knows a thing or two about whisky.

Whisky is to Matthew, what fashion is to us: a love affair. Hooked on single malts, the 38-year-old Australian has been the State Manager of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Western Australia, and later the founder and Director of Stewart’s Whisky Consultancy in Singapore.

Currently based in the red dot, Matthew also acts as the regional Brand Ambassador for Glenfiddich single malt scotch whisky, sharing his passion for the spirit and educating the rest of us on the various varieties and ways to enjoy them.

Here’s what he has to say on the matter.

Marie France Asia: Recently we’ve been seeing more and more interest in pairing certain foods with whisky (what you’d normally do with wine), why do you think is that?

Matthew Fergusson-Stewart: I think a big part of the reason that this is on the rise is because whisky itself is on the rise, and all forms of whisky consumption are coming to the fore. Personally I find that a food and whisky pairing is great way to introduce whisky to people who would not otherwise have considered it. We also get a tremendous amount of positive feedback on food and whisky pairings, so we keep doing it.

MFA: Do some whisky aficionados and ‘purists’ find this approach ‘sacrilege’ or at least not appropriate for such a spirit – which is mostly to be enjoyed alone or on the rocks?

Matthew Fergusson-Stewart: Not that I’ve encountered. An aficionado would generally prefer their whisky as a standalone, but they are usually open to the idea of trying a food and whisky pairing, even if they would not typically want to drink whisky this way.  I find that food and whisky pairings are generally great way to introduce people to whisky, but they also help existing whisky lovers to appreciate whisky in a new way

MFA: Do you think that Asian food in general goes well with whisky? (as most of the time it doesn’t match quite well with wine for example). And if so, why is that?

Matthew Fergusson-Stewart: There are many very distinct cultures in Asia, and each has their own cuisine, I don’t believe there is any meaningful concept that can be called ‘Asian food’. Spicy food can be difficult to pair with whisky, but milder Asian dishes can work extremely well. In essence, we have to find dishes that work well with the whisky, and every cuisine should have something to offer, as well as things to avoid.

MFA: From our experience (previous whisky/food pairings we tried), Indian food and desserts tend to be the most successful pairings. Any reason for that?

Matthew Fergusson-Stewart: My experience is honestly quite different. I generally find it somewhat difficult to pair Indian food with whisky due to the strong spice notes and the complexity of many Indian dishes. The other side of this is that when you do get it right, the matches are brilliant. Matching with dessert can be tricky, but once you learn to avoid pairing sweet food with sweet whisky, you can achieve some unforgettable matches. Sweet food hides the sweet notes in a whisky and if that whisky relies on sweetness as part of its flavour profile, sweet food will make whisky flat and bitter.

MFA: How do the age and the flavour of certain kinds of whisky affect your choice of the pairings? Is there a general rule?

Matthew Fergusson-Stewart: My general rule is to find flavours in the whisky that complement flavours in this dish. Not a match, not a clash, but a complement – that is the essence of food and whisky pairing. In short, flavour is absolutely everything, age is almost completely irrelevant, except insofar as extra time in the cask changes the flavours in a whisky. In a typical whisky tasting we will taste whiskies from youngest to oldest, but in a food pairing we develop the best possible matches with the food, and almost completely ignore the age of the whiskies.

MFA: How much harder is it to pick the right whisky, than say wine, to go with a certain dish?

Matthew Fergusson-Stewart: Most people who have done matchings believe that food and whisky pairing is more difficult than food and wine pairing. There are some simple rules of thumb that can guide you when matching wine and the lower alcohol levels are easier to work with. Whisky starts at 40% alcohol and there are no simple rules to follow – you have to work with individual flavours. This requires you to really know the flavour profile of the whisky, and it really helps if you are a cook yourself. Cooks understand how to bring different flavours together in harmony or synergy.

MFA: One of the more common (and successful) whisky pairings is with chocolate desserts. Why is that? And what kinds of whisky go with chocolate?

Matthew Fergusson-Stewart: Smoky whiskies like the Balvenie 17YO Peated Cask generally go very well with desserts, including chocolate. However, I generally suggest using a chocolate with high cocoa mass – generally 60% or higher. Why do whisky and chocolate work so well together? Who knows, let’s just enjoy it.

MFA: For those of us at home who would like to enjoy a glass of whisky with dinner, what are the basic rules of pairings that you recommend we follow?

1- Match weights – light food with light whisky, heavy food with heavy whisky.
2- Complement flavours – not a match, not a clash, but a complement. This is where a cook or chef has an advantage, as they know how to bring flavours together.
3- Oil or fat always helps a match. After the fat coats the inside of your mouth, the alcohol cuts through and brings the flavours from the food to your mouth again in a completely different way.
4- Avoid dishes that are very sweet, bitter or spicy. These flavours endure on the tongue and can drown out the subtle flavours in the whisky.

MFA: As an expert, what has been the most successful whisky/food pairing you attempted?

Matthew Fergusson-Stewart: My favourite match to date has been The Balvenie Portwood 21YO with Matt Basile’s dish, grilled octopus with fennel and blood orange. It MUST be blood orange, that’s the component that really makes the match work. The dish itself is a delight, but once you follow it up with the sublime delicate sweetness on a 21 year old whisky finished in portwood casks… it is heavenly!

Rana Wehbe