The Absolute Best Seafood Dishes To Pair With Bourbon

Although we'll always enjoy a good seafood and white wine combo, there's much to discover when switching up your choice of beverage. Overall, seafood is a delicate cuisine, but if you play it right, some dishes taste better alongside a glass of bourbon. We tapped an expert for the best way to pair seafood with the spirit.

Bourbon is bold, with dynamic tasting notes like oak and honey that linger on the tongue. There are a number of milder seafood dishes that are too light for it, but Chris Blatner, executive bourbon steward and creator of @urbanbourbonist on Instagram, knows some stronger choices that will complement bourbon. "Lobster rolls or seared scallops work well with bourbon, especially bourbons that have some spice and sweetness," he says. "The buttery richness of lobster or scallops pairs well with the caramel and vanilla notes, while a high-rye bourbon adds a nice contrast of spice."

Lobster is certainly a stronger-tasting seafood pick, with a fresh, yet sweet flavor that's marked with a pleasant fishiness. Scallops are also on the sweet side, though they come across as a little more briny than lobster. Still, both hold their own against bourbon. Their flavors complement the more gourmand components of the liquor. Like Blatner says, however, they taste incredible with high-rye bourbons, which favor a peppery finish over a sweeter one. The spicier take embraces the more savory components of both lobster rolls and seared scallops.

If you still want a bit of freshness to accompany the seafood, pair it with a classic French 95 cocktail. The recipe borrows from the French 75, but replaces the gin with bourbon for a bolder, sweeter flavor. Still, you can bring back some of the herbaceous quality by flavoring Chris Blatner's recommended lobster and scallops with sage and thyme. While both herbs have a woodsy depth to complement the sweet bourbon, there's a bright quality that keeps the seafood from tasting too heavy.

Like the French 95, a summertime peach whiskey smash has a dash of brightness, thanks to the lemon. However, the stone fruit and bourbon pairing gives it a much sweeter finish that's complementary to the seafood. The bright, juicy peach hones in on the dessert tasting notes of bourbon; to round it out, season the lobster rolls or scallops with aromatic basil and lemon-tinged rosemary.

To keep things simple, pair the seafood with a classic mint julep. The refined cocktail is made up of just water, sugar, bourbon, and mint leaves, with the latter ingredient providing the liquor with a zingy quality. To embrace it, simply season the seafood with salt and pepper and finish things off with a squeeze of lemon. However, you can bring out the fiery quality of the bourbon and the cooling effects of the mint by adding a pinch of ginger powder to the seafood.