Drinks to enjoy with Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is both versatile and ubiquitous and while white wine may be the bird’s best-known beverage pairing, it’s not the only Gamay in town. There are multitudes of wines, spirits, beers and cocktails that complement the flavour profiles of fried chicken.

Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines

The lively effervescence of Champagne and sparkling wine pairs perfectly with fried chicken. Graham Beck Methode Cap Classique Brut with its velvety fine bubbles and ripe fruity flavours, is a great way to get things poppin’. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, try the Rietvallei John B Bubbly Brut Sparkling Chardonnay

Beer

Pairing beer to fried chicken is all about finding balance. Despite its greasy reputation, well-prepared fried chicken displays a delicate interplay of juicy, flavorful meat and toasty, crunchy crust. The beer you choose should speak to both without overpowering either. Go for lighter-bodied beers that lean toward malt, but have enough hops to maintain a delicate balance between sweetness and bitterness. The toasted-caramel melanoidin flavours of mid-colour malts are derived from the same chemical reactions that give the chicken its comforting character. How could that not be a match made in heaven?

Rum and Coke

You can’t get more Murican than fried chicken and coca-cola. Don’t forget to add some rum to the mix. In this particular case, the sweetness and carbonated lightness of the cocktail acts as a counterbalance to the extremely salty and rich chicken.