Whisky & Food

New Zealand eats what the sea and land deliver right on its doorstep, and that's exactly where whisky pairing begins too. On the West Coast of the South Island, whitebait fritters are considered a delicacy. These are tiny, translucent juvenile fish, lightly seasoned and fried in egg and flour batter. A mild, sweet whisky like the Oamaruvian pairs well with this delicate dish without overpowering it. Some serve it with a splash of lemon.

Things get heartier with hangi, the traditional Māori earth oven. Meat, kumara sweet potatoes and vegetables cook for hours under hot stones and earth. In the end, everything turns butter-tender and carries a faint smokiness. This pairs well with Thomson's peated South Island Peat. Its mossy smoke note picks up the earthy flavours of the hangi rather than overpowering them.

Central Otago produces game alongside whisky, and venison from the region's mountains often arrives briefly seared and pink on the plate. Cardrona's Just Hatched, with its young sweetness from the cask, stands up well beside the robust meat. It doesn't mask the flavour but complements it.

To finish, pavlova suits well, the meringue dessert with whipped cream and fruit. New Zealand and Australia both claim the recipe as their own, a dispute over its origin that remains unresolved to this day. The caramel, creamy notes of Doublewood maturation pick up on the sweetness of the meringue. The fine acidity from the wine casks keeps the cream from feeling too heavy. Still, the meringue remains the star.