April 14, 2021 / Cocktails
Our Gin, Cocktails and Cheese Pairing Guide
Our Gin, Cocktails and Cheese Pairing Guide
Gin and cheese - yes please! As we know, gin and cheese are two of life's great pleasures and finding the perfect match can be a heavenly and exciting adventure. Gin varietals range from floral, citrus, herbaceous to juniper forward in flavour depending on the botanicals used. The flavours of these botanicals (juniper, citrus peels, cardamom, cassia etc) make gin an excellent pairing for cheese and when paired well they will compliment a wide variety of cheeses. Here are a few suggestions for good pairings from our gins to your favourite cocktails. Yum!!

Gin and Tonic Our go-to cocktail generally goes well with soft and creamy cheeses, like camembert, brie and other white mouldy cheeses. The gin brings out the floral notes in the cheeses and the bitterness of the tonic rinses the palate. Try pairing camembert with your next Garden Grown Gin and Tonic, you'll be very pleased. Blue cheeses like Castello also take on those delightful floral notes when paired with a gin and tonic. Juniper-forward gins like MGC Single Shot and Rock Rose will pair beautifully too.
Classic Martini For stronger cocktails like the martini you need rich, fatty, and salty sheep milk cheeses like pecorino, fetta or a well-balanced cheese like a Spanish manchego to stand up to the hard alcohol. Navy Strength and London Dry style gin's like Jensen's, Gothic Gin and London to Lima will pair best. Try Meredith Dairy Marinated Goats Cheese on a cracker with a dirty Jensen's martini for a match made in heaven. Bliss.
Negroni Like a classic martini, the distinct negroni bitterness calls for cheeses with salty or strong flavouring like a buffalo mozzarella or pecorino. Enjoy a negroni next time you order a Quattro Formaggio (four cheese) pizza for a spectacular food and drink combo.
Gin Sour Citrus heavy cocktails - particularly ones featuring lemon juice pair well with a gouda or mild brie. The acidity from the citrus will contrast nicely with the caramelised notes in a gouda cheese. Citrus-forward gins like Tanglin and Sheep Whey will pair best.
Spicy Red Snapper Gin's version of a Bloody Mary doesn't seem like a natural choice to pair with cheese. However when you think tomatoes are commonly served with cheese - then actually it makes total sense that the two should go very well together. Stick with dry and aged cheeses like Italian cheeses and parmesan with more spice-led gins like Bobby's, Hobart No.4 or Rivo for the dream pairing.
Sloe Gin Fizz and Herbaceous Gins Sloe gins and barrel aged gins make a great digestif and are also commonly associated with festive seasons - this makes a cheese plate an ideal seasonal accompaniment. Less juniper-forward gins like a sloe gin and herbaceous gins like Juno for example share similar flavours to many goats cheeses - like a bloomy-rind goat brie, goat camembert or chèvre and therefore make for a breezy pairing. A soft cheese like Cornish blue - with it's dense texture and buttery yet tangy flavour also pairs beautifully with rich sloe gins but will also stand up to punchy, herbaceous gins too.
Honey, Gin and Cheese Honey is an excellent agent, which unites gin and cheese. Especially when pairing gin with salty cheeses like halloumi. Try herbaceous honey products such as rosemary, lavender, and thyme or pair with a herbaceous gin like Grace Gin. Or even better yet enjoy a Bee's Knees cocktail with Grace gin and a side of halloumi fries. Now that sounds amazing!

By Gin Society

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