WHAT TO EAT WITH WHAT YOU SHAKE

We like to drink cocktails with food, or before or after a meal. This runs counter to much of the traditional wisdom that says cocktails fatigue the palate. We beg to differ. In fact, there may be no better way to whet the appetite. Whenever we fix a few drinks, we inevitably set out a few nibbles and start cooking. Here are a few tips we’ve learned about sloshing and noshing.

Pair acidic food with citrusy cocktails. Acid likes acid. In other words, if you’re serving a salad with vinaigrette, pair a bright, lemony cocktail alongside it.

Bold cocktails offset other bold flavors. Try a Toronto (page 117) and a hunk of Stilton. The intensity of the drink and the cheese stand up to one another and round each other out.

Beware of rich on rich. We’ve been to cocktail-pairing dinners where there’s a sumptuous cognac-based cocktail paired with foie gras. It’s just too much richness together. Take the opposite tack, and contrast the richness of duck liver with a crisp fruit- or citrus-forward drink.

Work the herbaceous flavor bridge. Try serving an herb-heavy cocktail alongside a dish that contains complementary herbs. Common kitchen garden herbs like rosemary, basil, and mint can meld food and drink to form mutually enhancing flavors. For instance, serve pesto with a Gin Basil Smash (page 142).

Don’t upstage the food. At a dinner party, consider choosing low-proof cocktails (page 231) made with wine, sherry, or beer. They will be enchanting background sippers for a wide selection of foods.