Appetizers to Pair With Whisky
Good conversation and good whisky both last longer with the right food on the table. Whether you’re hosting a tasting or winding down after dinner, the appetizers you choose can bring out — or clash with — the character of the whisky in your glass. Here’s how to match them by style.
Appetizers for Different Types of Whisky
Older Whiskeys
For whiskies aged 18 to 25 years, cheese is the safest choice — reach for harder, more mature cheeses rather than soft ones. If you’d rather build a full evening meal around the dram, pairing dinner with whisky calls for heavier dishes overall.
Aged whiskies also hold their own against richer, more full-bodied foods: pork, intense cheeses, or ham all work well.
Blended Whisky
If the Scotch you usually drink is a Speyside blend — complex, rich, with fruity and floral notes — pair it with chocolate, nuts (chestnuts and walnuts are a reliable choice), or dried fruit.
Single Malt Whisky
Single malts are the most versatile of the three. Cheese of almost any style — soft, strong, or full-bodied — works well, and so does smoked fish such as salmon, chocolate, and most desserts and candies.
If you’d like to pair a single malt with your evening meal instead, sushi and seafood are the two options worth trying.
Now that you know which appetizers suit which whisky, try a few out with your friends and see which combination wins.