# Oyster and Alcohol Pairing



## DPC3 (Jun 15, 2009)

I have begun to take up the habit of occasioning an oyster bar. I really like the experience and taste of raw oysters, and enjoy trying different varieties. I was wondering what the best liquor pairing is for this practice. The bar happened to have Stella Artois on tap, and that's what I have been ordering. Is it possible to pair either a cocktail or wine with oysters effectively? I have tried the practice with a Bloody Mary made with Clamato as well. It would be nice to know what is best .
-DPC3


----------



## jtb (Sep 8, 2004)

Champagne. Or if you prefer, Prosecco, or Cava.


----------



## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

I'd say either Proseco or a lighter-bodied beer.


----------



## Dr. François (Sep 14, 2008)

Look at what cold water coastal people drink. They usually know how to pair a dish, and if you eat oysters twice a week, they'll drink to that.

My people come from the area at the mouth of the Loire valley as it dumps into the Atlantic. One of the local wines is called Muscadet. I think it is the best pairing with all types of shellfish, even raw.

After a well-chilled bottle of Muscadet, I'd go with bone-dry brut cava, chilled vodka shots, or very bubbly lager beer.


----------



## JerseyJohn (Oct 26, 2007)

You might try absinthe. It became legal again in the US in 2007 after being outlawed since 1912. Pernod and Ricard are substitutes that were legal in the interim and are still easier to find. It has a somewhat anise-like flavor and is always diluted with ice water (at least 3 to 1), where it turns from clear to cloudy - a process called "louching" ("looshing"). There's a whole ritual involving a spoon and a sugar cube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40k7SkXi3Rc), which isn't entirely necessary, but fun, especially if the bar has an "absinthe water drip"


----------



## jtb (Sep 8, 2004)

Dr. François said:


> Look at what cold water coastal people drink. They usually know how to pair a dish, and if you eat oysters twice a week, they'll drink to that.
> 
> My people come from the area at the mouth of the Loire valley as it dumps into the Atlantic. One of the local wines is called Muscadet. I think it is the best pairing with all types of shellfish, even raw.
> 
> After a well-chilled bottle of Muscadet, I'd go with bone-dry brut cava, chilled vodka shots, or very bubbly lager beer.


Ah yes, I haven't had a Muscadet in so long that I've completely forgotten this classic pairing! About 20 years ago I spent Christmas Eve with a French family just outside of Cannes, whose patriarch was a chef at one of the major hotels along the famous La Croisette. That evening he returned home with a wooden crate filled with oysters, and we paid tribute to these with Muscadet.

Thanks for rekindling that fond memory ...


----------



## Dashiell.Valentine (Dec 18, 2008)

I may very well be uncivilized, but for me, it's always bourbon on the rocks. Typically, in the form of an old-fashioned.

I first did this when I was working in New Orleans, and have never eaten oysters any other way.


----------



## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

My wife loves oysters and we've done lots of oyster/drink tastings. Even have great friends in

Her family (and now we) have oyster soup for good luck on New Year's Day!

We've done beer and champagne mostly, but I can certainly see white wine working.

Actually on our last trip to visit Arcachon, we flew from LA (seemed like a couple of days :icon_smile our friends picked us up at Bordeaux (after we stopped at Paris - it *was* two days!!!) and we picked up several dozen oysters on the way to their home.

At midnight we had finished the meal with red and white wine and were finishing up a great bottle of very old cognac. Went to sleep (no problem) and awoke the next day with NO JET LAG! I don't know if it were the oysters or the cognac?


----------



## andrewcorreia (Jan 21, 2009)

I used to live in downtown Wellfleet, MA. Home of the WORLD'S FINEST OYSTER! Wellfleet oysters are to be enjoyed with a pilsner or light beer! It should not distract from the flavors of the oyster.


----------



## DPC3 (Jun 15, 2009)

I found one of the oyster bar establishments in the Twin Cities has a muscadet available by the glass. I am tempted to go out there and try it. Otherwise I will have to find it at a local liquor store, and source my oysters from a local market and try the combination at home. I did some reading and have concluded that this is the best established combination. I hope to be trying it soon.
-DPC3


----------



## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

One of my favorite haunts is in SOHO in NYC (Lure Fishbar). I have usually paired a dozen oysters with a nice Pinot Noir. They also make an Oyster shooter (oyster in a small bloody mary) that is quite delish, especially if the bartendress' go in on one.


----------



## Dr. François (Sep 14, 2008)

dcahill3 said:


> Otherwise I will have to find it at a local liquor store, and source my oysters from a local market and try the combination at home.
> -DPC3


There is a third option...

Most decent restaurants will allow you to bring your own wine for a small fee. Most call it a "corkage" fee. The fee is usually between 10 and 25 dollars, but in most cases ends up being about the same as the markup of wine ordered from the cellar at the restaurant. With muscadet, this fee means you are often paying more to open it than you did for the bottle. Still a bargain, in my mind, as I hate opening my own oysters. Leave that (and the liability insurance) to the pros at your local restaurant.


----------



## agnash (Jul 24, 2006)

*Apalachicola Bay*

We are very proud of our Louisiana seafood, including our oysters, but most of us would admit the best oysters in the world come from Apalachicola Bay in Florida. For beverage, champagne/sparkling wine, lighter beers, and of course Barq's rootbeer.


----------

