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Bourbon is a drink that goes well with a vast array of food. Starting from chocolates to even cured meats, bourbon compliments them all. In fact, bourbon and jerky is one of the most “American” combinations of them all. To perfectly pair bourbon with any food, you must first understand the tastes of the components separately. So let’s begin:
What Is Beef Jerky?
Beef jerky is a kind of cured meat, including turkey jerky, how is turkey jerky made? It is made from thinly sliced turkey that is seasoned and dehydrated. It’s usually fat-free cuts or cuts of turkey with less fat that are chosen to make turkey jerky. They are then seasoned. These seasonings vary, but they contain high amounts of sodium and preservatives.
Beef jerky has a deep taste of beef. It has a smoky profile and a very firm texture. The salts and sugars from the seasoning combined with other herbs and spices create a wonderfully salty-sweet and savory snack that pairs up well with whiskeys.
If you are looking for some wonderful and tasty sweet and spicy beef jerky, then visit online stores to have them delivered right to your doorstep.
What is Bourbon?
It is a common misconception that bourbon and whiskey are the same things, but in reality, whiskey and bourbon are not the same. All bourbons are whiskeys, but not all whiskeys are bourbon. For a whiskey to be a bourbon, it needs to meet a few criteria:
- It has to be distilled and made in the US.
- It needs to contain at least 51% corn.
- It needs to be aged in white oak barrels that are charred.
If a whiskey meets the criteria mentioned above, it is bourbon and not a regular whiskey.
Bourbon gets its color from the barrels it is aged in. The deeper the color, the more intense and smoky the bourbon flavor is. Charred barrels provide an essential flavor component of bourbons. All bourbons have the flavors of caramel, vanilla, oak, and smoke. Besides these flavors, the blend of grains used in the distillation process also imparts their flavors into the bourbon. The most common grains are rye and malt. Besides these, you may also notice hints of spices and fruits in the drink as well.
How to Pair Bourbon and Beef Jerky?
When pairing bourbon with Jerky, you must focus on a few key aspects:
Bourbons Pair Well With Sweet Flavored Jerky:
The sweet and delicate flavors of bourbons go well with sweet flavored jerky. Any sort of mild or low spiced beef jerky can be paired with bourbons.
Bourbon Doesn’t Pair Well With Spicy Foods:
Bourbon tends to increase the spiciness of any food so often when bourbon is paired with spicy foods, the heat from the spices present in the food gets multiplied by quite a large margin. So it is best to avoid pairing bourbon with spicy jerky.
Bourbons Pairs Well With Meats and Fat:
Meaty and fatty flavors are best friends with bourbon. In fact, the flavor profile of bourbons compliments beef very well. The fatty, earthy and meaty taste of beef, when paired with the caramelized and smokey flavor of bourbon, creates a wonderful combination that you must try and experience if you haven’t already.
To conclude
Now that you know the basics of pairing foods with bourbon, I urge you to experiment with different combinations and come up with your own pairings. There is no such thing as a “best” when it comes to pairing. The best option is the one you love. Personal preference matters a lot when pairing, so be adventurous and experiment more.