RECEPTION Here's To The Happy Couple! 8353 views

Food and drink matching experts from Corky’s vodka liqueurs have come up with some tips and advice for WeddingPath couples on choosing drinks for the wedding breakfast - whether you are going the traditional route or are looking for some more experimental ideas.

Wine is traditionally the perfect accompaniment to any meal, but the recent explosion of imported beers, Eastern European vodkas and exotic cocktails, has also meant that those with more adventurous tastes can look at a wider range of drinks to match the food at their reception.

Va-Va 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 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.

Cocktail Cool
Cocktails can also be a good option for those who want to add diversity to their reception drinks menu. Bloody Mary, the oldest vodka cocktail, is still a firm favourite on a wedding 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.

Beer Best
For 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 serving 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.

Purists
If you are going to serve wine at the reception, then make sure it complements the dish being served. Lighter wines suit 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. And finally, with dessert, always choose a wine that is sweeter than the food being served.

For more drinks ideas visit globalbrands.co.uk.
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Photo: Your Big Day, McWilliam's