What Liquors Go With Lamb Chops?

Pairing food with the right appetizers, sides and desserts can be a challenge. Finding the perfect beverage pairing to tie it all together can be even more difficult. If you are preparing a lamb chop dinner for your family or guests, there are some liquors, wines and beers that you can pick up that will accent and balance the flavors of your lamb dish.

A single malt scotch can be paired well with a lamb chop dinner. Serve this liquor before, during or after the meal. Low Country Weekly recommends a coffee chocolate sauce with lamb chops. The rich chocolate and espresso flavors will accent the richness of the scotch quite well.

A triple distilled tequila has an extra smooth finish that can even out the gaminess of lamb meat. The flavor of the oak barrels that the tequila was aged and fermented in adds a nice subtle touch to the liquor. Add some rosemary to your lamb chop recipe to bring out the oak flavoring. A cucumber and mint salsa over grilled lamb chops would also complement the crisp tequila flavor.

Black truffle vodka has a bold and complex flavor. Pairing it with a lamb dish that contains a strong cheese, like Gorgonzola, can tie it all together. The fat content of the lamb and the richness of the cheese will balance out the strong alcohol content of the vodka.

There are several red wines that you can pair with lamb chops. The fat content of the lamb helps to balance out the bitterness and high tannin content of red wine. Shiraz, Chianti, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are all good wine pairings for lamb chops. Cabernet Sauvignon can offer some black cherry, chocolate, anise, currant and spice flavors to the meal. Pinot Noir has chocolate, truffle and green pepper notes. Shiraz has flavors of black cherry, pepper, nut and spices. Chianti is a red wine with a rich full body. Choose a red that matches your tastes or try a couple different kinds with your lamb to see which flavors your palette and guests prefer.

If you are not a liquor or wine drinker, do not worry, you can still find an alcoholic pairing for lamb. A pale ale beer works well with this kind of dish as its flavor is not too overpowering. This kind of ale is milder, sweeter and spicier compared to some other, more bitter beers. A porter is a dark, malty ale that also goes well with lamb. Both kinds of beer accent the earthiness of lamb without overshadowing your dish. Your local brewing companies will most likely have a good pale ale or porter you can pair with you meal.