Mixologists Share “Perfect Pairings” for National Cocktail Day

National Cocktail Day is Thursday, March 24 and we have interviewed expert Mixologists to find out what they recommend as a perfect pairing for a cocktail and culinary selection. Their answers may surprise you.

However you celebrate this special day that pays homage to cocktail culture, we are sure you will find responses from some of the best in the business interesting!

-Dan Schuster of Orchard Park by David Burke in East Brunswick, NJ: A black Manhattan and a chocolate souffle. For the black Manhattan, Amaro is used in addition to, or instead of , vermouth with and a good bourbon or rye. I tend to use rye. It's a very velvety drink, sweet and bitter and pairs beautifully with a rich dessert like a chocolate soufflé.

-Director of Operations, Victor Dedushaj of BENJAMIN RESTAURANT GROUP in NYC: The honest answer here is that from a restaurant perspective we see cocktails more as aperitifs or digestifs, and as such a great and fun way to start your meal and open-up your appetite and also a great way to conclude your dinner. Having said that, for those of us who would rather have cocktails than wine with their meals we are happy to match up their courses up with our signature cocktails. The south of the Border is a great pairing with our blackened swordfish. The Nippon Connection is matched wonderfully with our sushi grade tuna.....and a plethora of our whiskey cocktails match quite well with our dry-aged steaks and chops.

-Andrew Bateman of MARGARITAVILLE RESORT in Times Square: One of my favorite pairings is our Shiso Peppers and the Pineapple Shuffle. The combination of pineapple, whiskey and green chartreuse is dynamite by itself, but when you add a charred smoky shiso pepper, it brings it to a whole new level. Combine all of that with the best view in Times Square, it's untouchable.

-Christian Orlando of Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer: My favorite pairing right now would be the All American Burger and our Cherry Cola Old Fashioned at Black Tap. To me, it's a big bowl of Americana in one serving. And as I said, nothing is better than a good whiskey and a good piece of beef. I think we executed that to perfection is this pairing.

-Ben Rojo and DON PAPA RUM: Charcoal-grilled tiger prawns with a squeeze of lime and a dark rum piña colada made with grilled pineapple, palm sugar, and salted coconut cream. The iodine of the hot prawns, smoke of the charcoal, and acidity of lime serve as a sublime counterpoint to the decadence of the piña colada: frosty, full-bodied, and indulgent.

-Pablo Aguilar of TASCA on the Upper West Side: At Tasca I will pair the Red Snapper with our Green Smoke which is a crisp refreshing take on a Moscow mule with a smoky essence and a long finish.

-Diego Guzman Fernandez of BLACK BARN RESTAURANT in the Flatiron: A glass of single malt scotch and a dried aged steak are my favorite food pairing . The flavors brought out from the steak by the scotch are unmatched.

-Moses Laboy of the Gerber Group: I find savory cocktails like the 50/50 gin martini (equal parts gin and dry vermouth garnished with onions and olives) to pair beautifully with raw oysters. A classic and elegant combination.

Photo Credit: Freeimages.com

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