Chili tends to be a cold-weather staple and for good reason: it's quick to make, it's an easy, filling meal for when you're having a crowd over, and you can drink your favorite beverages right alongside it. Whether you are going for beer, co*cktails, or wine, we've got your top chili pairings covered.
One of the most popular pairings with chili is beer, with some recipes even calling for beer to be added to the stew itself. Chili recipes can vary widely in ingredients, spices, and heat levels. With such a variable dish, you need a flexible beer that can handle the heat, meat, spices, and whatever else people decide to throw on top, like cheese, onions, or avocado.
One beer that can take on all that spice and hold its own against a variety of other ingredients is Vienna lager. The style may seem a little obscure but it's really not—Austrian brewers moved to Mexico in the 1800s and introduced this amber lager. It's still a favorite there, sold branded as Negra Modelo and Dos Equis Amber throughout Mexico and the U.S.
The slightly sweet, caramelly beer is an excellent foil for dishes with a lot of spice, and this makes the style popular in Tex-Mex restaurants. In the case of chili, the bright apple notes in the beer play nicely against the earthy notes of the beans and cumin spice.Another especially good beer choice to go with chili is aBlack and Blue (a combination of Blue Moon and Guinness). Overall, any light or medium-color and body beer with a crisp finish that isn't too hoppy will pair well with chili.
There are plenty of wine pairing options for chili, especially if you prefer red wines. Shoot for a red that strikes a good balance between acidity and tannin contentand is medium to full-bodied. Consider amalbec,shiraz,tempranillo, or select cabernet sauvignons. These specific red wine varietals can handle the meat, tomatoes, and the traditional chili spice that includes cumin and chiles.
A white wine fan would do well with a chilled off-dry German or Alsace Riesling or even a balanced sparkling wine like cava, where the bubbles can help cut the spice. Finally, dry rosé is a viable chili pairing option, especially if you aren't into a full-on red and don't think fresh and light white wines are good chili contenders.
co*cktails
Chili is a very hearty meal and there's a lot going on flavor-wise, so it is best to do the exact opposite with co*cktails. Simple mixed drinks that are light in flavor, tall, and refreshing make the best match with chili. They don't compete with the complexity of the foodand help you wash it down, which is certainly necessary if you like the spicier adaptation. Fitting drinks include the ever-refreshing Pimm's Cup, the whiskey-based Presbyterian, and if your chili is spicy, the Paloma, with its tequila base and soothing grapefruit soda.
For instance, if your chili is beefy and heavy on red peppers, a full-bodied red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot would be the best choice, but if your chili includes lighter ingredients like chicken and white beans, look for a white wine with bright acidity like Pinot Gris or Chardonnay.
If you want to stay away from the alcoholic taste altogether, the best thing you can do is go for something fruity and acidic like lemonade or just tonic water with lime, allowing the drink to really cut through the spicy flavours.
If you are a fan of Scotch, pouring that style of whisky into a Presbyterian is a more traditional way to serve the drink. This also tends to explain the drink's name because the Presbyterian Church was founded in Scotland. For Scotch, stick with a good blended whisky.
Balancing it with an acid can help neutralize the capsaicin. This means that drinking or eating something acidic can give you some temporary relief from the burning sensations. Things such as lemonade or orange juice are great options. You can also try a tomato-based item.
Stout. Stout is a perfect base ingredient for stew, so it's also a natural ingredient for chili. Hey, chili is a kind of stew, right? And we know that beef goes well with stouts.
In Mexico, they make a green rice, using a long-grain variety flavoured with salsa verde. Paul also suggests trying an ancient grain such as quinoa or faro, as well as corn tortillas and condiments such as guacamole, salsas and sour cream. “Chilli con carne is very communal,” he says.
Pour one part gin and two parts of Dubonnet into a small wine glass, or chalice. Add the half lemon wheel to the mixture, then top with two perfectly proportionate ice cubes, sinking the lemon into the co*cktail. (Note: Add more ice at your own discretion.)
Back. This is a glass of something milder (like water, cola, or pickle juice) that accompanies a stiff drink. 5. Bitters. This is an herbal alcoholic mix that can be added to co*cktails to ramp up the flavor.
But what was her drink of choice? Elizabeth II was known to love a Dubonnet, a French drink by Pernod Ricard which combines fortified wine with herbs and spices – so much so that she gave it a Royal Warrant in November 2021. She preferred a co*cktail of two parts Dubonnet to one part gin, garnished with lemon.
Beer, Wine & Liquor -- Start your meal the way Chileans do with a pisco sour, considered to be the national drink of Chile and made of the grape brandy pisco, fresh-squeezed lemon, sugar, and sometimes an egg white and a dash of bitters.
(Now if you are going non-traditional and making a white chili then white wine would be perfect. But that's another story for another day!) I mentioned lighter reds wines for our chili pairing, and by light I mean lower in tannin and alcohol.
Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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