Whisky & Food

Brittany eats what the sea and its sparse fields provide, and that's exactly what its whisky reflects. The galette, the savoury crêpe made from buckwheat flour, is the quintessential Breton everyday dish, filled with ham, cheese, and egg.

Pairing a galette with a glass of Eddu brings together two products made from the same grain. The earthy, slightly nutty tone of the buckwheat whisky picks up the crêpe's savoury flavour rather than fighting against it, something a sweeter barley whisky often fails to do.

On the coast, oysters and other fruits de mer are a fixture of the menu, served raw with nothing but a squeeze of lemon. Kornog, the peated whisky from Glann ar Mor, pairs well here. Its smoky note and the iodine-like freshness of the oyster complement each other, echoing the well-known pairing of Islay whisky and oyster.

Cotriade, a Breton fish stew made with several kinds of fish, potatoes, and onions, calls for something calmer. It bears a distant resemblance to bouillabaisse but is kept simpler, rooted in the kitchens of fishing families on the north coast. A mild Armorik Classic suits it well, its apple and malt notes accompanying the broth rather than overpowering it.

For dessert, Kouign-amann often appears on the table, a laminated pastry made with generous amounts of butter and sugar. Equally popular is Far Breton, a dense egg cake studded with prunes. Both pair well with the vanilla and caramel notes that many Breton whiskies pick up from their time in bourbon casks. The whisky itself doesn't need to taste sweeter than it already is.