Whether it’s steak, pasta, or a salad, finding the right drink to complement your meal is just as important as the dish you choose.

As well as wine traditionally being the perfect accompaniment to any meal, the recent explosion of imported beers, Eastern European vodkas and exotic cocktails, has also meant that those with more adventurous tastes are increasingly looking for a wider range of drinks to match with their preferred dish. Food and drink matching experts from Corky’s flavoured vodka liqueurs, provide the following tips and advice, for diners with a taste for the traditional or more experimental ways of complimenting a meal with that favourite tipple:

Vodka
Although spirits have traditionally been regarded as post-dinner drinks, vodkas are especially good with food that has a gentle flavour. Light fish dishes can be overpowered by stronger wines, but flavoured vodkas, such as the Scandinavian Danzka, can add to lighter meals. The subtle flavours found in Citrus-flavoured Danzka provide a good match for delicate fish dishes, such as salmon or monkfish.

Imported vodkas are ideal for those serving European-influenced ethnic cuisine, as the popularity of Eastern European dishes grows. Beverages from certain regions are best matched to the food’s country of origin. Traditional Polish dishes such as Bigos, a rich and hearty stew made with sausage and other meats, are well matched with Polish vodka Sobieski, for those wanting to create an authentic dining experience.

Cocktails
Cocktails can also be a good option for those who want to add diversity to their dinner drinks menu. Bloody Mary, the oldest vodka cocktail, is still a firm favourite on a brunch menu, as the smoothness of the vodka blends with the bitterness of the tomato and lemon juice, giving a taste that doesn’t overpower the meal.

Beers and Lagers
For those of us that enjoy spicier dishes, such as curries, a lager that takes the heat out of a madras or vindaloo is ideal. The chemical found in hot peppers, for example, is soluble in alcohol not water, which is why beer offers the best match.
Beers and lagers are also a good choice to begin a meal, and are perfect to quench your thirst when snacking on aperitifs such as nuts and canapés. Starters and fish are matched well by wheat beers, that have a zesty flavour with citrus overtones, whereas red meat is better served with bottled ales, which have a more malty flavour, or full-bodied bitters.

Dishes with a cheese-based sauce go well with strong beers and ales, as their rich tastes complements the richness of the cheese, while Belgian fruit beers are an excellent choice to go with chocolate or coffee-based desserts.

Rum
If Caribbean food is your particular favourite, a dark rum provides the ideal accompaniment to spicy jerk chicken and other Caribbean dishes, which fare well with a drink that is cold and sweet. Mix Myers’s Rum into a fruity rum punch for that perfect match.

Wines
Dining purists often see wine as the perfect choice to accompany fine dining, and there are a variety of wines to suit the dish being served. Top tips for food and wine matching are:

• Match the country of the food to the wine, for example seafood pasta with a light white wine

• If you are using wine in a sauce, cook with the same wine that you serve

• Serve lighter wines with delicate food, such as white fish like cod or pollock, as red wines contain tannins which, when drunk with fish, bring to bear a metallic taste

• Heavier red wines will suit red meats, but be careful that the sauce doesn’t overpower or react negatively with the wine

• Choose a wine for each course, as few wines will match well with all courses

• With dessert, always choose a wine that is sweeter than the food being served

After Dinner
Choosing post-dinner drinks is just as important as the drinks that are chosen to complement the main meal. Vodka-based cocktail the White Russian is a great alternative to coffee, and its creamy flavour can even substitute dessert for those with a smaller appetite.

Corky’s Cappuccino flavoured vodka liqueur is another good option for after the meal – simply add a shot to a steaming cup of hot coffee to create a delicious coffee liqueur.

And for those that like something sweeter to round off their meal, add a shot of Corky’s White Chocolate flavoured vodka liqueur to a hot chocolate, and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings for that touch of luxury.

For more great drinks ideas visit www.globalbrands.co.uk.