Christmas is upon us, and at Christmas everyone loves smoked salmon. Christmas is also a time of merriment so our Chief Smoker, Alister McFarlane, has taken time aside from his busy schedule to choose his top 6 drinks to pair up with our most popular smoked fish.
Typically, champagne is considered the drink of choice alongside smoked salmon but you never need an excuse to drink champagne at Christmas so why not mix it up with our carefully selected wines, beer, whisky and vodka that work perfectly with our salmon!As with most fish, we’d recommend going for the lighter variants of each drink choice and as follows are a few worth sampling this Christmas.
Sancerre & Pouilly-Fumé Wines
These popular Sauvignons of the Loire are ideal with more simple smoked salmon dishes thanks to their light and delicate fruity flavours. Vinterest are friends of ours and a team of experts who know their wines, and we’re at hand if you’re ever short of smoked fish recipes.
Chablis
Chablis is another popular white wine particularly the unoaked varieties which perfectly neutralise the natural oils of the smoked salmon thanks to their acidity. For our Hot Smoked Salmon we’d recommend Chardonnays which are richer in flavour.
Tio Pepe Sherry
If you are one to enjoy a Christmas sherry this is probably the best drink to compliment our smoked salmon. The zest and saltiness of Tio Pepe is the perfect combo with all of our smoked products. As long as it’s warm indoors, we’d recommend serving cool, by a warm wintery fireplace!
Czech Pilsner
Here is a comprehensive list of some fine Czech Pilsners which make for an excellent match with our smoked salmon thanks to their bitter but fresh tastes.
Malt Whisky
Okay, so most people might not kick off with a whisky, but everyone loves a post-Christmas meal snack or three, and that is exactly when we’d encourage you to bring out the malt whisky. We’d recommend a lighter whisky, and if you’re new to this world, take a look at different whisky types before choosing which one to go for.
Vodka
The Poles are well-renowned for drinking vodka the right way, and a chilled bottle of their finest goes down a dream with smoked salmon.
Having said all of this, of course, don't make a fool of yourself under the mistletoe with a haddock! Take a look at our market to see what’s fresh in for your Christmas celebrations and sign up to our newsletter for more tips, treats and recipe suggestions.