The word "flight" when we talk about drinks refers to a sampling of beverages. A new style of hospitality offers drink flights along with flights of snacks to match: that is, variations of a dish created specifically to pair alongside each beverage. It’s a fun entertaining idea, and riffing off a basic recipe with a few tweaks and flavours is an easy way to try several new tastes. Pick a flight and get on board!
Bocks are a group of strong German lagers with rich malt character balancing bitterness and a clean finish. They originated in the 1400s in Einbeck and became popular in Munich, where the Bavarian dialect pronounced it “ein-bock”— hence the name! Bock is also German slang for goat, and the animal is common on Bock labels. Today, this family of brews is a Munich brewers’ springtime specialty.
Holsten Festbock, a Traditional Bock or Urbock, has a smooth and mellow mouth feel plus mild dried fruit flavours.
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Comte Grilled Cheese on Rye with Watercress: Grilled cheese becomes a special snack with salty, supple Comte. The dark, malty beer complements the toasty rye bread, while its caramel sweetness is in sync with the buttery cheese. Bitter greens bring freshness and balance.
Also called Helles (or light) Bock, Maibock is typically paler in colour, but still robust in flavour. DAB Maibock has toasted grain, honey and herbal notes.
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Arugula & Tomato Grilled Cheese: Try this recipe but swap in peppery arugula (in place of watercress). It pairs well with a Maibock’s herbaceous notes. Add a slice of fresh tomato that will almost melt into the cheese.
Literally meaning “double bock,” Paulaner Salvator Doppelbock is a sweeter, stronger style.
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Apple & Ham Grilled Cheese: Change the watercress in this recipe to sliced red apple and add some Black Forest ham for a sweet and salty combo to complement the sweet, robust Doppelbock.
The Paper Plane was created in the late aughts by Chicago bartender Sam Ross and the late Sasha Petraske, and named for a popular song of the time.
The traditional Paper Plane is made of equal parts Nonino Quintessentia Amaro, Aperol, bourbon (such as Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon) and fresh lemon juice, shaken over ice and served in a chilled coupe.
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Yellowfin Tuna Crudo with Radish, Cucumber & Capers: Delicate fish crudo can be deceptively simple but full of complexity. Sushi-grade tuna and a few uncomplicated garnishes come together to make a bright and fresh complement to the bittersweet cocktail, with bourbon’s steadying bass note countering zingy freshness from the lemon juice.
Muddle a few fresh (or thawed frozen) strawberries in the bottom of your cocktail shaker with 1 tsp (5 mL) honey, then make the cocktail according to the basic recipe.
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Tuna Crudo with Mint & Jalapeño: Try this recipe but switch out cucumber and capers for chopped fresh mint and thinly sliced jalapeño peppers: the paired drink’s strawberry sweetness helps tame the chili heat.
Swap out the bourbon in the cocktail for a smoky Scotch, like Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky.
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Salmon Crudo: In this recipe, swap tuna for salmon to pair with the peated-Scotch cocktail variation. Salmon is obviously a natural with the smoky flavour of the drink, and its rich texture is tempered by the lemon.
Ontario’s cool climate, sunny growing season and limestone soil provide all the right elements to make many styles of world class sparkling wine.
This local sparkler is made in the traditional method (the same process used to make Champagne in France) and boasts bright citrus and nutty, yeasty notes.
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Crispy Potato Bites with Herbed Sour Cream & Mushrooms: For our bite-sized potato snacks, mini spuds are halved then scored in a crosshatch pattern before pan-roasting. This unique approach allows them to absorb more butter for maximum crispness and flavour. They provide an earthy, savoury base for many toppings, including garlicky mushrooms in a herby, tangy cream sauce.
This off-dry, bright sparkling wine has floral and fruit notes of pineapple and peach.
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Crispy Potato Bites with Leeks & Shrimp: To complement off-dry bubbly, top potato bites with sautéed leeks and a lightly cooked shrimp salad. The sweetness of the shellfish topping flatters the fruity flavours of the local sparkler.
This bubbly rosé has a wallop of red fruit, mousse-like texture and light toasty notes.
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Crispy Potato Bites with Scrambled Egg & Bacon: Switch up these potato bites’ topping to a spoonful of soft scrambled egg and a small strip of crispy bacon for an unexpected but brilliant taste explosion with rosé.