Bubbles & Bites
Summer’s easiest food and drink pairings bring together bright, bubbly beverages with shareable appetizers.
What modern canned cocktails and fizzy spritzes have in common with sparkling wine or brisk summer beers and ciders is their irresistible effervescence. Bubbles make beverages feel fresh and crisp — and automatically make every occasion seem celebratory. Serving them with small plates that everyone can eagerly dip, slice, mop and spoon up adds frothy fun to everyday dining. Here’s how to do it.
Whipped Mackerel on Buttery Pumpernickel Toasts
Get hooked on omega-rich fatty fish — whipped into a savoury, creamy spread — alongside crisp, carbonated bubblies for a palate-cleansing pairing.
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Rye and pumpernickel reflect the spicy note in a premixed Whisky Highball like Jameson Ginger and Lime or the shandy-like Big Lemon Gingerade.
Marinated Lima Beans & Marcona Almonds
Fizzy, citrus-forward drinks recharge your palate between bites of these creamy, buttery giant legumes enhanced with nuts and savoury herbs.
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Some types of sparkling wine (like Champagne) are coveted for their buttery texture and toasty flavours, but choose bright, citrus-inflected bubblies when you’re serving Mediterranean-inspired foods, like these creamy giant lima beans that are rich with olive oil and sun-drenched flavours like vibrant oregano. Add a grove of lemon, lime and tangerine flavours from Kew Vineyards Organic Riesling Sparkling VQA, which has a quick-popping crown cap for easy opening. For patio pouring, lightweight cans of Babe Grigio with Bubbles add California clean citrus and mineral notes, with hints of melon and pear. A can pours two glasses of bubbly.
Bubbly cocktails like Good Sunday Dry Gin Soda Grapefruit or the wine-spritzer like Rilli Brilli Pink Lemonade & Rose also make refreshing pairings.
Dukkah-Topped Labneh With Pita Mop
It’s not a dip, not a spread — it’s a mop! Pita bread soaks up silky labneh sprinkled with irresistible spice-and-nut dukkah. Savoury herbs like mint and sumac come alive paired with botanical bubbles.
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Son of Spritz
Pair this easy appetizer with floral, fruity L’Aperitivo Nonino Botanical Drink or Sicilian bitter-orange Amara Amaro di Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP replacing Aperol in a classic 3:2:1 ratio (Prosecco, aperitivo, soda) spritz.
Apricot-Glazed Salami With Spicy Mustard
A frothy drink pleasantly cuts through succulent salami, and the fruity notes in these fizzers beautifully complement tangy apricot glaze and spicy mustard.
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Think Pink
These two Aussie rosés, Lindeman’s Bin 30 Sparkling Rosé and Joiy Rosé Sparkling bring strawberry, raspberry and peach notes that pair with apricot.
More Fizzy Drinks
From premixed cocktails, summery ciders and Mexican-style lagers to canned wines and even effervescent red-wine Lambrusco, here are more products for getting your fizz on this summer.
