After another turbulent year dictated by covid it is finally time to let our hair down a little bit and put the feet up for Christmas. Over the last couple of weeks, we have been hard at work developing our Quinlan’s recipes using our smoked salmon and fresh fish to take the stress out of the holidays with step-by-step cooking tutorials. All our recipes can be found here:
Our recipes are a mixture of some Christmas classics and some alternative dishes that are guaranteed to impress your family and friends.
For this post we are guiding you through our favourite drinks to enjoy with Quinlan’s award-winning smoked salmon. Champagne is the obvious choice for many foodies to pair with smoked salmon but in fact it goes well with many other wines, beers, whiskeys, and even vodkas!
As a rule of thumb, we tend to match our lighter smoked salmons such as our Kenmare Select, Mild, Royal Fillet of Salmon with crisp white wines or beers. In contrast, our stronger smoked salmons such as our Quinlan’s Superior Smoked Salmon go with a sherry or spirit.
Of course, it depends how you are serving your smoked salmon. With that in mind here are our selections this Christmas:
Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 2015
Tesco has built a good reputation for own-brand champagnes, and this stands to enhance that reputation further. From the best vineyards on the Cotes de Blancs, this is a pure chardonnay that goes beautifully with our Kenmare Select, Mild range. The cost is €35 which may not be cheap, but it is great value and a top pick this Christmas.
Chablis 2020
Another selection from Tesco’s own brand range. It is light and refreshing with crisp green apple fruits, good citrus acidity, and a dry finish. Once again, this would go nicely with our Kenmare Select, Mild range. At €16 a bottle this is another firm favourite of ours.
Killarney Brewing Company Full Circle Pale Ale
Our third and final choice to enjoy with our Kenmare Select, Mild range is an IPA brewed in Killarney using all American Hops resulting in a fruit forward hoppy beer with just a slight bitterness. A great option for the beer lover in your life.
They are reasonably priced at €3.70 for a 500 ml bottle and are worth every penny!
Tio Pepe
If you like dry sherry this is one of the best matches. An uncompromisingly dry, refreshing, and distinctive taste that goes perfectly with all smoked fish. Especially our Quinlan’s Superior or Organic Smoked Salmon. Priced at €14 a bottle in Supervalu, you can’t go wrong.
Portmagee Irish Whiskey
Last on our list is a local whiskey and a neighbor of ours here at Quinlan’s Fish. It is brewed in the beautiful South Kerry. Their whiskey blender spent over 6 months developing their own unique whiskey style and taste. It is blended, married, and finished in individual Barbados Rum Casks in homage to Captain Magee, the 17th century smuggler. It goes well with savory foods, and it is delicious with Quinlan’s Smoked Salmon range.
