Hugo’s Terrace in St. Julian’s is proud to offer a selection of mouthwatering meals and snacks as well as an extensive list of classic and in-house cocktails. For those who would like to pair the perfect meal with their favourite drink, Hugo Chetcuti would like to share with you a few of his ideas and his favourite combinations.
Cocktails & Cheese
As with spirits which form the base of each cocktail, there are various types of cheese with different strengths and tastes. Since vodka is basically flavourless, whatever is mixed in with it should complement the food on your plate.
A Bloody Mary goes great with mild, creamy Italian cheeses such as Burratina and Parmigiano, topped off with an olive oil dressing served with tomatoes and basil.
Sweeter and more mature cheeses are a tasty supplement to the Manhattan, one of Hugo Chetcuti’s favoured cocktails. Think on the lines of a blue cheese like Roquefort and flavoured cheddars like Moroccan or Cranberry. The bourbon in the cocktail offsets and slightly mutes the strong taste in blue and other mould cheeses.
If you’re not too picky when it comes to cheeses, the Old Fashioned cocktail is perfectly suited to a wide variety. Some recommend alpine cheeses (such as goat’s cheese) as the caramelization within accompanies the sugary caramel notes blended in the drink itself.
Fish & Seafood
Wash down a plate of delicious calamari or fresh seafood with a glass of Tom Collins. The citrous tones in the gin based cocktail enhance the condiments often served with fish, especially tartar sauce.
Citrus fruits like lemon and lime are key; they help to balance out flavours between the food and the flavours mixed in with the alcohol. Consider adding mussels and other shellfish to your plate as an ideal companion to a gin based cocktail.
Meats
Mojitos are the consummate accessory to a meaty dish – try pairing a classic Mojito with a Argentinian rib-eye, a top pick by Hugo Chetcuti. The flavours and ingredients of a Mojito serve as a cooling factor, therefore a spicy Asian dish such as Green Thai Curry Mussels is ideal.
An Old Fashioned goes beautifully with a steak too, and a Martini is recommended when ordering a chicken dish, especially when marinated in herbs such as coriander and ginger.
Classic pairings
Always keep in mind the origin of the spirit when pairing your drink with food. For example, cocktails such as the Pina Colada and the Daquiri go well with Latin American and Carribean dishes where rum is distilled. Similary, tequila cocktails synchronise fittingly with Mexican food like nachos or tacos topped with guacamole. Gin and fish are a great combination as gin was popularised in the British Isles, where the classic pub food fish and chips is eaten.
