Whisky & Food

In Finland, a piece of dark rye bread, Ruisleipä, lies on the table at almost every meal: dense, slightly sour, steeped in tradition. It's the very same grain that ends up in the glass. A Kyrö Malt Rye Whisky from Isokyrö next to a slice of Ruisleipä shows just how much flavor the same grain can give off in two different ways: once baked, once distilled and matured for three years.

With smoked or cured salmon, Savulohi or Graavilohi, a milder malt tends to work better. The fattiness of the fish pairs well with the round, slightly sweet cask notes that Teerenpeli from Lahti brings, so that smoke doesn't clash with smoke and overwhelm the plate. If you choose a smoky whisky from Valamo Monastery in Heinävesi instead, you deliberately intensify the fish's smokiness rather than balancing it.

Poronkäristys, especially common around Rovaniemi in Lapland, is one of Finland's most famous winter dishes: thinly sliced reindeer meat braised in butter, served with mashed potatoes and lingonberries. It shows how well hearty game pairs with a spicy rye whisky. The peppery sharpness in the glass meets the slightly sweet, gamey meat. The lingonberries contribute an acidity that ties the two together.

None of these pairings are rules, just natural fits. Finnish whisky is young enough that its cuisine is only just beginning to get acquainted with it. A glance at the table is often the best guide to which glass belongs beside it, and rye bread with rye whisky remains the simplest place to start.