How to Pair Food with Smoky Whiskey

Cheese, chocolate, barbecue…Peking duck, the options are seemingly endless when it comes to pairing smoky whiskey with dishes from across the world. 

Though the discussion around smoke in whiskeys can be complex, it’s clear that the whiskey category contains a range of contrasting flavors and nuances, even in the smaller category of smoke-forward whiskeys. 

“It’s all about balance of flavor and understanding what the base spirit’s character is,” says Ewan Morgan, U.S. luxury ambassador and head of education for Diageo.

Types of smoke

The smoky flavor in whiskey tends to either come from peat or the barrel used for aging.

Peat is a wetland soil formed by the partial decomposition of organic matter — mostly plant material — found in swamps, bogs, and fens. 

“Depending on what made up that peat bog, it also then delivers different chemical profiles, different flavors,” says Morgan, adding that “they all have their own fingerprint.”

The smoky flavor created by barrels comes from the char found in bourbon barrels, which many Scotch whisky distilleries use to age their spirit. 

Although Scotland remains the place most famous for its smoky drams, it isn’t the only place producing smoky whiskeys. You’ll find exemplary options made in Kentucky, Texas, Washington, and Japan. 

Islay vs Highland peat

When referencing smoky whiskey, many people think of the Scottish island of Islay, the home of peat-heavy brands like Lagavulin, Ardbeg, or Bruichladdich. These brands and their powerful maritime expressions offer very specific smoky profiles, yet smoke-driven flavors can be found in bottlings across Caledonia.

“Islay peat is very different from the peat that you would find outside of Aberdeen,” says Morgan. “[The peat] that goes into Dalwhinnie, for example, [has a] kind of heathery sweet note, whereas, if that was Islay peat, it would be far more earthy.”

Islay whiskies offer more medicinal and earthy notes that tend to be quite powerful. 

“Lagavulin is a big flavor profile, so you’re not gonna put anything super delicate up against it,” says Morgan when discussing pairing the whisky with various dishes. “It’s gonna have to have some kind of char to it, so it can then counter the big powerful characteristics of the whiskey.”

Morgan finds Highland whiskeys have a bit more floral sweetness, which makes them work well with the creamier, lighter flavors found in certain cheeses. These smoky Highland bottlings can also work well for pairing with poultry like chicken or duck.

How to pair whiskey with food

Seafood

Fish can be very delicate, so at first glance it might not seem like the perfect pairing choice for smoky whiskey. However, smoked fish is a great option when it comes to pairing the two, as long as you remain conscious of the cooking style. Smoked sturgeon, smoked swordfish, and smoked salmon all work well with Islay whiskies. Morgan suggests pouring a whiskey with Cullen skink — a traditional Scottish soup made of smoked haddock, potatoes, and onion.

“Oysters do work very well with smoky whiskeys because of the maritime note that you’ll find in any coastal whiskey,” says Morgan. “There’s a slightly salty, briny, ozone-y note to them and that’s why they work well with oysters because of the salinity and sea air notes they deliver.”

Other shellfish, like shrimp or scallops, also work well if you’re cooking over an open flame or wood and you get a nice char note to it. 

“That’s where they’re gonna start to interplay with whiskeys really well, specifically smoky whiskeys because then you’ve got that marrying of the two different styles,” says Morgan. “One being peat smoke and then the other having this almost barbecue char character to it, so they’ve got a really nice kind of synergy.”

“It’s really all about balance and not having one dominate the other,” he says. “They should work together in unison and there should be a kind of fine balance between the flavors of the two of them.”

Meat

When it comes to pairing smoke-forward whiskeys with meats, it’s all about juxtaposition and not letting one overpower the other. 

One of the best combinations is pairing smoky whiskey with barbecue due to its big flavor profile and rich texture. Cured meats like chorizo and morcilla can pair well with Highland whiskies, while andouille goes particularly well with those peaty, maritime bottlings.

In the steak and protein world, applying a heavy char and then controlling the internal temperature is a great way to pair them with smoky whiskeys. 

Poultry

Lighter, heathery Highland smoke can pair well with chicken or duck, but one of Morgan’s favorite pairings has been Lagavulin and Peking duck. 

“Lagavulin and Peking duck is one of the best things [I’ve] ever had,” he says. “I first had it at China Live in San Francisco and [it was] unbelievable. [Their Peking duck] has a really nice smoky note to it, as well as that wonderful anise sweetness. [This dish] and Lagavulin is bonkers.”

Vegetables

Charred vegetables or charred corn are two excellent options when looking for flavors that pair well with smoky whiskey. Charred carrots work particularly well because they offer a sweetness along with the char, adding another layer of complexity that prevents them from being overpowered by the whiskey. For similar reasons, charred leaks are also a great choice.

One of the most intriguing pairing combinations Morgan has come across recently is elote from Mexico. “You’ve got that wonderful charred corn in there with spices on it and that works really well with smoky whiskeys,” he says.

Morgan also suggests air frying brussels sprouts with a whiskey honey and Calabrian chili peppers, or adding smoky whiskey to a creamy celeriac or celery root dish.

Cheese and dessert

Cheese, chocolate, and whiskey have a long history of being paired together. Blue cheeses work especially well with smoky whiskeys due to their robustness. The complexity of smoky whiskeys also lends itself well to bitter dark chocolate, which intensifies the subtle sweetness in the whiskey’s smoke.

It isn’t just cheese and dark chocolate, however. The famed Scottish sticky toffee pudding pairs particularly well with smoky whiskeys. Morgan suggests adding sea salt to take those pairings to the next level because it “boosts up the salinity of it and is then amplifying that maritime note” as well.