Can you drink sav with the pav? How to match classic Kiwi food and drinks

What goes best with onion dip? Is there a perfect drink match for fish and chips? What should you sip while scoffing scorched almonds? We asked a panel of experts – Wellington chef and restaurateur Shaun Clouston, Auckland sommelier Alex Soriano, Christchurch bar tender Charles Gillet and Wellington cicerone (beer expert) Steph Coutts – what to drink with a range of quintessentially Kiwi summer dishes.

Coutts says there’s a lot going on when it comes to food and drink pairing.

“Many people don’t realise that you experience taste and flavour differently,” she says.

“Taste is about salty, sour, sweet, bitter, umami. Flavour is more complex because it uses a combination of senses.

“Ultimately, you look to compare or contrast with a match. Look for either similar flavour profiles that meld, or different ones that compliment.”

A “pimped up” version of this classic dip is served at The Last Word, the Christchurch bar where Gillet works. He reckons the combination of creamy dip and salty chips goes well with white wines like chenin blanc or off-dry Riesling.

Soriano, assistant manager at Auckland restaurant Metita, chooses a “crisp and refreshing” unoaked chardonnay or, for contrast, an earthy pinot noir. “It counters the palate a bit… instead of being overly tangy, having an earthy, mushroomy flavour adds a little bit of depth to it.

“Or you could have a pisco sour.”

Coutts, on the other hand, thinks the dip and chips needs “a true drinking beer”. That could mean an Extra Special Bitter, where sweetness from the malts will balance the onion and the “light hoppy bitterness” will help cut through the fat. Alternatively, she says wit beer, pickle beer or good old lager (in alcoholic or non-alcoholic versions) will also work well.

Clouston, chef/owner at Wellington’s Logan Brown and Liberty restaurants, keeps it simple: “You’ve got to have L&P with onion dip, it’s putting two Kiwi icons together.”

“I’d go for something like rum and ginger beer, because regardless of how bad the sausages are, you’ll still enjoy the drink,” Gillet says. “They’ll still be burned, but those gingery, smoky flavours will go well together.”

If you prefer a non-alcoholic version, he recommends adding a pinch of chilli to an ordinary ginger beer. “That can elevate it and make it a bit different.”

Coutts says it’s best to keep things simple and suggests an American Pale Ale (APA), while Soriano favours a pilsner or a hoppy IPA “to cut through the char”.

Clouston remembers drinking Coca-Cola with incinerated sausages in his youth, but these days he thinks a Bloody Mary would hit the mark. “Drink the Bloody Mary, chuck out the sausage and just eat the buttered bread and tomato sauce.”

Gillet reckons it’s hard to improve on a cold, crisp lager on the beach with hot, salty fish and chips from the takeaways across the road (“but if I was feeling bougie and eating blue cod, I’d happily go for a bottle of champagne!”).

Soriano says it’s best to choose a drink with a high acid profile – sauvignon blanc, pinot gris or albarino – to cut through the oily elements. A Paloma cocktail – tequila, grapefruit juice and soda water, with a bit of salt on the rim of the glass – is another way to introduce a refreshing, citrussy note.

Gillet and Soriano both think L&P is a time-honoured match with fish and chips, though Gillet also puts in a vote for Sparkling Duet (“that definitely deserves an honourable mention”).

Clouston says “a nice light lager” is the go here – ideally in a zero-alcohol formulation so you can drive home safely afterwards.

Coutts agrees that it’s important to cut through the fat, but not overwhelm the sweet, minerally and delicate fishy flavours. She suggests trying classic sour beers or dry porters.

Clouston says a hangi is a special event worthy of fine Central Otago pinot noir or French burgundy. Alternatively, he says, there’s the time-honoured option served at marae everywhere: Raro.

Soriano admits she’s never sampled a hangi (“if anyone wants to invite me to one, that would be great”) but she’s done a fair amount of research into the flavours and textures involved. She thinks a lighter, softer red wine, like a gamay or pinot noir, that’s served chilled will work best.

“When you chill a red, especially a lighter one that has an acidic profile, it makes it kind of crunchy. If the food is soft, you need some crunch, but not tannins.”

She says the oily and smoky elements of tequila or mezcal would also add layers of flavour to a hangi feast, while Gillet opts for whisky and ginger ale, a North Canterbury pinot noir or a hoppy IPA.

Coutts says saison or farmhouse ales will stand up to the smoky characteristics of a hangi, while locally-brewed lager or pilsner will have the carbonation to cut through the fatty meat.

The experts agree that something fizzy is the best match for a pavlova covered in billowing whipped cream and summer fruits or chocolate. None of the experts are fans of pairing sweet puddings with sweet drinks. “When you’re matching flavours you want to accentuate what’s already there rather than doubling up,” Gillet explains.

Clouston reckons “quite accessible” prosecco is the go, while Gillet is fond of bubbly rose and Soriano plumps for champagne (“it’s such a great palate cleanser”).

Coutts goes in another direction, suggesting ice cream sour beers that “invite you to take another sip or two”.

“A stout would go really well with a pav as well… stout goes with an amazing array of things.”

Clouston says the best match he’s found for Scorched Almonds is a pre-mixed Kahlua espresso martini “but you’ve got to have the glassware to set the scene”.

Coutts isn’t a big Scorched Almonds fan, saying the chocolate itself is average and loses taste quickly. When it comes to pairing beer with chocolate, however, she’s keen on stout (including zero alcohol versions) or fruited beers whose flavours echo the fruity notes in good quality chocolate.

Soriano also thinks fruity flavours found in cabernet franc wines are a good match for chocolate, or the liquorice flavours of syrah. Alternatively, she says good smoky, salty Scottish whisky is a solid option.

“Nice whisky or cognac” are Gillet’s top choices to accompany a box of Scorched Almonds, but he has a couple of simpler favourites too.

“If you had a plain black coffee with Scorched Almonds, the balance of flavours would be awesome. Or an English Breakfast tea with a bit of honey in it. That’s a tip from my dad.”