Flavor Inspiration To Add Depth To Your Event!
Food and drink pairings can help elevate the look and feel of your event. A trendy signature drink matched with a delicious appetizer with have your guests raving about the extra thought that went into their experience. We’ve paired six mouthwatering appetizers from one of our favorite San Diego Caterers, Personal Touch Dining, with six classic signature drinks for your upcoming festivities. (Our experts swear by pairing #5!)
1. Honey Ricotta Crustinis with Lavender Lemonade Mojitos
We love this time-honored cocktail with its light rum, water, lemon juice, mint, and lavender simple syrup. Combined with a bite of fresh Honey Ricotta, Poached Pears, and a dollop of Fig Jam? After one taste, you’ll transport your guests directly to the south of France. These Provencal flavors are absolutely heavenly and add an understated elegance to your event. We can see this pairing at anything from a Mother’s Day Brunch to a Bridal Shower!
2. Watermelon Skewers with a “Blushing Bride.”
The “Blushing Bride” is a fairly common cocktail including Champagne, Peach Schnapps, and grenadine. This Champagne-based cocktail offers delightful bubbles with a sweeter undertone, thanks to the Schnapps and grenadine. Pairing classic bubbly with a traditional fruit and cheese skewer is always a crowdpleaser. This twist on your typical grape-and-cheddar combo is a chic step up. Much like the “Blushing Bride,” the watermelon cube topped with honey goat cheese is a burst of fresh flavor to balance out the creamy sweetness of the cheese. Sprinkled with pistachio dust and glazed with a blueberry balsamic reduction, it provides a ton of flavor in one bite! Your guests will definitely be back for seconds.
3. Lobster Mac n’ Cheese with a Whiskey Lemonade
Nothing says summer barbeque than a good old-fashioned Whiskey Lemonade! A bit of your favorite bourbon, some lemonade sweetened with honey, and that’s all you need. The sweetness in the bourbon and honey pairs beautifully with the buttery characteristics of cheesy pasta and flaky biscuits. Add a little something fresh to balance out all that savory goodness, like with lemon basil aioli and tender Lobster meat, and you’ve got a perfect combination of comfort and style.
4. Bacon-Wrapped Dates with an “Old Fashioned.”
This trendy cocktail is making a comeback. You can’t go into any indy bar without an Old Fashioned variant on the menu. The original recipe contains bourbon, bitters, a sugar cube, water, and an orange peel spritz. Bourbon and bacon are a match made in heaven. The salty, fatty goodness in the bacon plays off the sweet flavors of the goat cheese stuffed Medjool Dates. This mixture complements the savory quality of the bourbon. We love this pairing for any occasion—modern, luxurious, with a hint of homemade comfort.
5. Mini Adobo Carnitas Tacos with a Classic Margarita
Tacos and Margaritas seem like an obvious combination, but a gourmet method to elevate this timeless combo is to find the best to accentuate the drink. A classic Marg has silver tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, salted rim, and lime. (Add a splash of Grand Mariner or Cointreau to make it a Cadillac Margarita!) It’s a sour, salty cocktail that packs a punch to your tastebuds, so why not build off of that with something savory and spicy? Personal Touch Dining’s Mini Adobo Carnitas Tacos with fresh guacamole, pickled onion, and cilantro is the perfect combination of savory and flavorful to effortlessly subdue a bit of the margarita’s power and please your guests between sips.
6. Mini Beef Sliders with Your Favorite Beer
Sometimes a good beer is all you need to start a party off right. Pick your favorite and buddy it up with Personal Touch Dining’s crowd-pleasing Mini Beef Sliders with caramelized onions, sharp cheddar, and truffle aioli! We can see this combo at any event, from casual to classy. Plus, how much more American can you get? Familiar yet high-end, thanks to the truffle and carmelized onions, guests will be thrilled by this savory little match-up.
Bring your event to new heights!
Just reach out to our talented Event Coordination Team to ask about having these pairings at your next event!