Vodka with a goat’s cheese ravioli? Absolutely.

There’s nothing like the flavourbomb of getting a food and drink pairing right. The dish goes from good to great, the drink dances on your tastebuds, and you feel like a smug culinary genius. While most people are at least a little familiar with the basics of pairing food and wine (red wine with red meat, white wine with seafood, etc.), it can feel overwhelming trying to pair with the expansive world of spirits – but it shouldn’t!

Pairing spirits and food might feel complicated, but it’s really not. There’s so much more room for exploration and creativity. Plus there’s nowhere near as many rigid rules as fuddy duddy wine pairings (sorry wine, you know we still love you), so you can really make it your own.

Yes, it’s totally possible to pair food and spirits with just as much success as wine. That’s partly thanks to the incredible array of unique and bespoke spirits that are now available. Honouring those world class spirits is just one of the reasons we created the Decoded Spirits Awards, an expert deep dive into the best spirits on the market without all the overcomplicated mumbo-jumbo. It’s the awards for spirits lovers, not experts!

To show you just how easy they are to match, we’re highlighting the most common spirits with their best food pairings. Whether you like your food sweet, savoury, salty, or sour, there’s a spirited cocktail or sipper that’ll take your meal to the next level.

Gin with salmon blinis

Salmon loves gin almost as much as we do. Especially when the gin is on the spicy or citrusy end of the spectrum, like Archie Rose Distilling Co. Bone Dry Gin. The warmth of coriander seeds and zing of lime and lemon gum help cut through the rich, oily salmon for a perfectly balanced mouthful. And even non-drinkers can get in on the action with Gordon’s 0.0%, a non-alcoholic spirit alternative from the gin legends.

The salmon blini has been a cocktail party staple for decades, which is why it’s our pick for gin pairing. The fluffy mini pancakes are the perfect vehicle for salmon, either smoked or cured. You can even cure the salmon yourself with Jawbox Small Batch Dry Gin, to really create a bridge of citrusy flavour between drink and dish. Just remember to leave some blinis for everyone else – the only problem with these little morsels is you’ll want to finish the whole plate.

Whisk(e)y with a cheese platter

Most people think of wine as the ultimate cheese pairing, but ask around your local deli or cheesemonger (yes, they still exist!) and they might tell you something different. Some cheese fiends actually prefer the cheese and whisk(e)y combo since the fattiness of the cheese protects the palate from the burn of high-proof alcohol. The result is an aromatic sensation that’s much easier to match than complicated wines. The best way to prove it is to pile up a cheese platter and have a little tasting session for yourself.

No matter the type of whisk(e)y you’re drinking, Irish, Scottish, Bourbon, or any other, there’s a delicious cheese match to accompany your snifter. Semi-hard sheep's cheese like Manchego brings out the subtleties of bourbons like Maker's Mark 46 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. Local single malts like Corowa Characters Australian Single Malt Whisky are an absolute treat with aged Cheddar. While international single malts like The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky would do well with the nutty flavour of Gruyere. And it’s not just subtle cheeses that work well with whisk(e)y, you can even enjoy a ripe (a polite cheese word for “bloody-hell-that-stinks”) blue cheese with something peaty like Mars Iwai Tradition Blended Japanese Whisky.

Rum with steak

A perfectly cooked steak is a thing of beauty. When cooked just right, you end up with a thin caramelised crust on the outside surrounding melt-in-your-mouth richness on the inside. But it’s that crust we want to focus on – that charred, slightly sweet outer layer is exactly what makes steak and rum a harmonious flavour combination. Distilled from sugarcane, rums like Illegal Tender Rum Co Distillers Cut Rum naturally highlight sweet and caramelised flavours, and that includes the subtle sweetness of a steak. For an interesting flavour twist, try pairing steak with a spiced rum like Captain Webb's Two Swallows Orange & Ginger Spiced Rum – it’ll add another aromatic layer and punch up the flavours with a good whack of zesty spice.

Tequila & mezcal with sashimi

You were probably expecting to see sake with this pairing, right? While sake and sashimi are a delicious combination, technically sake is brewed rather than distilled, which means it’s not a spirit. When it comes to spirit matching for sashimi, your best option is a fusion of Japan and Mexico with agave-based spirits. The lighter qualities of Patrón Silver Tequila and other blanco tequilas work beautifully with lighter fish like scallops, bream, or whiting. Fattier fish like tuna and salmon are more robust, so they can stand up to the gentle smoke of lighter mezcals such as Burrito Fiestero Cenizo Mezcal. But our number one tip when enjoying any agave spirit with sashimi is to stick to sipping them neat – you don’t want the complexity of a cocktail to overpower the subtle flavour of the fish.

Vodka with ravioli

When it comes to food-matching vodka the aim of the game is subtlety. This is no time for bold, brash flavours – instead you want to create a harmonious pairing that’s as delicate as a ballerina standing on pointe. Mellow creamy cheeses like ricotta or goats cheese are a great match with slightly sweet vodkas like Old Young's Pavlova Vodka. The crispness of the vodka lets the subtle flavour of the cheese shine, especially when that cheese forms the creamy centre of a ravioli pasta.

Apéritifs & digestifs with charcuterie

Think of apéritifs and digestifs as the bookends of any meal. Apéritifs come first, to wet your palate and get it primed for delicious food. And then digestifs, as you can probably guess from the name, come last to wash down said delicious food. One of the most famous apéritifs is Campari Bitter Aperitif and if you’ve ever enjoyed a negroni before a meal you’ll know exactly why. The zingy, bitter sipping cocktail really fires up the taste buds – especially when paired with the salty, moreish goodness of charcuterie.

Brandy with chocolate mousse

Sweet tooths rejoice – spirit pairing isn’t just for savoury foods. A lot of the spirits above can also be paired with sweet dishes, but one of our favourite spirited sweet combinations has to be brandy and chocolate mousse. The silky smooth flavour of St Agnes XO 15 Year Old Brandy is a stunning way to end a meal while you spoon away at a light and airy mousse. Sipping brandy adds a warm, nutty element to the rich and earthy chocolate for perfect harmony. No wonder the French have been enjoying the combination for so long!

Now that you’re a spirits and food pairing expert, check out all the winners from the Decoded Spirit Awards and get matching.

Want to learn more about the spirits that are getting the experts talking? Dig into the inaugural Decoded Spirits Awards right here. Plus, explore more hot tips, how-tos and deep dives on the Dan Murphy's Liquor Library.