Are Cocktail and Bar Snack Pairings the Next Big Thing in Dining?

"For centuries, the rules of serious dining have felt firmly established: wine belonged to fine dining, cocktails belonged to dimly lit bars. Sommeliers spoke reverently about minerality and structure while bartenders slid over bowls of olives and hoped nobody was hungry. One pairing was considered an art form. The other came speared with a cocktail stick."

"But that distinction is beginning to dissolve. Increasingly, chefs and mixologists are recognizing that cocktails - with their acidity, smoke, spice, bitterness, and botanical complexity - can be more expressive partners for food than wine is. And in many cities, the best eating experiences now happen perched on a velvet stool with a drink in hand."

""I think back maybe five years ago, [bar snacks were] very underestimated," she tells me. "People don't just put nuts and chips out anymore. They put something more meaningful and that represents who they are as an establishment.""

"Spanning 16 MGallery properties from Paris to Seoul, Melbourne to the Middle East, the collaboration aims to celebrate World Cocktail Month, with each bar snack being paired alongside a complementary cocktail. Each of the 16 properties will serve the same five signature bar bites, thought up by Chef Pam, alongside two regionally inspired creations tailored to local tastes and ingredients."

Serious dining rules have long separated wine for fine dining from cocktails for dim bars. That distinction is dissolving as chefs and mixologists recognize cocktails’ acidity, smoke, spice, bitterness, and botanical complexity as strong complements to food. Many cities now center top eating experiences around cocktail culture. In Cagliari, Sardinia, a rooftop bar at Palazzo Tirso Sardegna creates a thin line between fine dining and cocktails. Chef Pam, founder of Michelin-starred Restaurant Potong, creates elevated bar snacks for MGallery Collection. The collaboration spans 16 properties worldwide, pairing five signature bar bites with complementary cocktails and adding two regionally inspired creations using local ingredients and tastes.

Read at Elite Traveler