From fish to lobster, serving family and friends the finest at your next get together is a must. It makes the event more fun when you make your own drinks to get the party started. But what are the best drinks to serve with seafood?.
There is nothing better than having a big seafood party in your backyard with fresh fish and Maine lobster. For easy serving, have a few pitchers of classic and trendy cocktails ready to go. A rum and Coke simply won’t do when you’ve got fresh foods from the sea. Pairing them just right is the key to a beautiful experience that will make this summer more memorable. Consider this your short but helpful guide to seafood and cocktail pairings worthy of applause.
Lobster is one of the most decadent and delicious seafood treats out there Although dipping succulent lobster meat in melted butter is a classic pairing, this crustacean can be so much more than just a vessel for butter delivery In this article, we will explore creative ways to mix up your lobster experience through inspired pairings, sauces, and side dishes. Read on to take your lobster game from basic to brilliant!
Complementary Flavors and Textures to Balance Lobster
Butter and lemon do add lovely richness and brightness to lobster’s sweetness. However, don’t be afraid to try bolder seasonings and ingredients to add layers of flavor
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Heat – Add a kick with chili pepper, hot sauce, or cajun spices. The warmth balances the cool seaflavor.
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Acid – Brighten with tang from citrus, vinegar, wine, tomatoes or yogurt-based sauces.
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Herbs – Fresh herbs like dill, tarragon and chives or robust ones like rosemary and thyme.
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Umami – Soy sauce, miso, cheese, roasted garlic or mushrooms boost savoriness.
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Crunch – Toasted breadcrumbs, sliced almonds or crispy pancetta for texture contrast.
Mix and match to create the flavor profile you crave!
Sauce Ideas: From Classics to Creative Fusions
Sauces can really bring lobster alive:
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Butter – Flavored with garlic, lemon juice and fines herbes. The simple classic!
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Mayonnaise – Spiked with mustard, horseradish, or sriracha for a creamy condiment.
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Vinaigrettes – Walnut oil and sherry vinegar or green goddess dressing with avocado.
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Hollandaise – The elegant, eggy partner to lobster. Jazz it up with chipotles or herbs.
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Tomato salsa – Fresh pico de gallo or roasted tomato salsa make festive toppings.
Get creative with global fusion sauces! Thai peanut sauce, chimichurri, and romesco are all fair game.
Side Dishes to Make It a Meal
Lobster is rich, so it’s smart to pair it with lighter sides:
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Salads – Leafy greens, tomato salads, or bean salads provide fresh contrast.
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Vegetables – Grilled corn, roasted asparagus or ratatouille balance the plate.
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Grains – Quinoa, couscous, or rice pilaf offer a wholesome base.
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Potatoes – Roast baby potatoes or mash them with olive oil and garlic.
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Breads – Crusty bread, rolls, or biscuits sop up delicious juices.
Keep things simple to let the lobster shine. Don’t be afraid to think beyond just butter – those creative juices will start flowing!
Make It a Party: Fun Ways to Serve Lobster to a Crowd
Serving up lobster for gatherings? Think beyond formal plated dinners with these fun ideas:
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Set up a lobster rolls bar with mini buns, lobster salad, pickles, slaw and sauces.
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Make it interactive with a lobster boil or clambake with corn, potatoes and sausage.
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For special occasions, offer a showstopper lobster baked alaska for dessert!
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Embrace casual fun with lobster tacos loaded with pico, avocado and spicy mayo.
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Make it portable with lobster hand rolls and an array of sushi fillings and toppings.
Lobster also shines in pastas, risottos, frittatas and pizzas – perfect for a crowd!
Final Thoughts – Eat Lobster Your Way
Lobster is a versatile protein that plays well with countless flavors and dishes. While butter and lemon have their place, don’t limit this luxurious seafood. With bold seasonings, global sauces, fresh sides and fun presentations, the possibilities are endless.
So embrace your inner chef – it’s time to crack open some shells and start lobstering up your menu! And remember, whether enjoying lobster rolls at home or dining on gourmet preparations, the key is savoring the sweet succulence of this crustacean.
A Classic Bloody Mary with Shrimp
Cold and spicy, the iconic Bloody Mary is shrimp’s perfect partner in crime. With V8, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Tabasco, pepper, and vodka, it has just the right kick. Shrimp can also serve as a garnish for this delicious cocktail if you’re serving a few guests. If not, you can set up a Bloody Mary bar where people can add their own ingredients, such as shrimp. This cool summer drink has a kick that is mellowed out by the shrimp that comes with it. People are known to order a Bloody Mary in the morning on cruise ships and at hotels. You can make your own at home and enjoy its flavor whenever you want.
Lobster Libations: Cocktails That are a Match Made in Heaven with Lobster Cocktails to Pair with Seafood.
It makes sense that serving craft beer and good wine with your lobster dish would go well together. That’s easy, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with it. If you’re having a big party, you might even want to have a cooler with craft beers and a few good wines for people to choose from.
Without further ado, here are libations with lobster that your guests will all love!
You can never ever go wrong with a classic. The Old Fashioned is an iconic cocktail. You can make it with whiskey, bourbon, or even Southern Comfort. Muddle oranges, sugar, and bitters in your glass before adding the liquor to go with the buttery, rich flavor of the lobster. This contrast makes for a lovely match.
Boozy and fun, the Mai Tai is a legendary libation that has an intriguing history to it. It’s fruity and sweet though, so there’s no shuddering with hit of alcohol on your tongue. Victor J. Bergeron is credited with making this drink for the first time in 1944, but his competitor Don the Beachcomber also tried to claim the title. At the end of the day, we still have this lovely drink full of tropical juices and lots of liquor for a treat with a Californian twist. Millions of copycat recipes exist for it, and making one of your own isn’t terribly hard. Adding mango-flavored rum to your lobster is one way to make it taste even better.
A classic cocktail from New Orleans will take the party to the next level. This city knows how to mix seafood and alcohol very well. It’s mostly a lot of light and dark rum mixed with fruit juices, lemon, and syrup, which make it just the right amount of strong and sweet. Serving it by the glass? Add a rum floater on top for good measure!.
It’s a no-brainer that wine is always in fashion for serving with lobster. But a nice sangria will be pure bliss. This wine-based cocktail can be made in many ways and is an amazing crowd-pleaser. You can even make several different versions of it and have the pitchers awaiting your guests. Traditionally, red wine from the Rioja region of Spain is used as the base for sangria. However, you can use any red wine you like. Mix in bite-sized bits of fresh fruit. Anything goes! Pears, pineapples, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, melons, or anything fresh you find. Adding some sugar to fresh-squeezed orange juice makes it a drink that stays cool and makes everyone happy.
More recently, sangria blanca has been sweeping the scene. A lighter twist on this classic, it simply uses a dry white wine instead of the usual red. Give it a punch by adding orange liqueur to it. You can also add some fizz with Sprite, 7-Up, or club soda.
One party cocktail that does amazingly when made in big batches is the mojito. This Cuban cocktail is the best way to cool off. Pure cane sugar is mixed with fresh lime and mint, and then a strong pour of light rum and club soda are added for some fizz. The original mojito goes well with lobster because it has lime and mint in it, but there are many other versions of this drink that will also go well. Having a mojito bar at your party with different kinds of mojitos in pitchers might be just what you need. Some examples are strawberry, mango, blueberry, pineapple, and coconut. You can concoct your own and be the hero of summer.
Big gatherings call for big drinks, and Planter’s punch is no exception. This rum-based cocktail is said to have come from the Planter’s Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina. It is balanced with fresh lemon juice, orange juice, and pineapple juice, making it a tasty drink that is easy to drink.
If you want to enjoy lobster in a more private setting, the Manhattan is a classy and classic drink to choose. It has whiskey, vermouth, bitters, and a maraschino cherry on top, so it can’t go wrong. Sometimes something simple and traditional is just what you want to go with your lobster.
Carrie Bradshaw will always be a part of our hearts, even though Sex and the City is no longer on. Even if she was having lobster with Big, she would still drink her favorite Cosmopolitan. It is made with Cointreau, Citron vodka, lime juice, and cranberry juice, and it goes well with the main course because it is light and refreshing.
Call us crazy, but we think you can pair a martini with anything. It’s always a good choice when you want a strong drink to go with your lobster. Plus, it can be made in so many ways, there’s bound to be one you’ll love. Your guests will love it too. You can make the ultimate martini bar. Set out bottles of quality gin and vodka along with garnishes and let your guests do the mixing.
Sipping a Bahama Mama will take you on a mental vacation you’ll never want to end. It’s the perfect beach cocktail. It goes well with lobster because it has light rum, coconut rum, grenadine, orange juice, and pineapple juice in it. It’s a sweet way to keep your palate fresh while you enjoy the rich and buttery lobster flavors. This drink does well with an added floater of rum on top. You can serve it on the rocks, or pull out your blender and make this a frozen cocktail.
Here’s a cocktail that really needs to be more popular. It exudes class and distinction, an ideal pairing for your lobster. It’s an Italian cocktail that features gin, vermouth and Campari, along with an orange peel garnish. This aperitif is a splendid way to prime to palate for the lobster that will soon come.
If you’ve somehow grown weary of mojitos and Margaritas, there’s something else you should try. Brazil’s national cocktail, the Caipirinha, exemplifies the beautiful life of Brazilians. That carefree but fabulously fun style comes through in this cocktail made with cachaça, a rum-like drink that everyone in Brazil knows and loves. It is mixed with sugar and lime that have been muddled, and then the Brazilian liquor is poured on top. The result is a strong, limey drink that will quickly become your favorite.
The creamy and dreamy coconut flavors of the piña colada are truly a spectacular pairing with lobster. With dark rum and coconut rum, this frozen concoction can surely carry you away. It’s so adored, there’s even a song by Rupert Holmes about it. Making this classic frozen drink is easy too. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until it’s the smooth and creamy texture you love. If you don’t drink it quickly, it will melt. You can also keep it cool in your outdoor fridge until the batch runs out, which won’t take long.
You can’t have summer or a party without frozen daiquiris. They’re like an adult Slushie, and there are a lot of different ways to make them. All of them have rum in them, but you can use any fruit you can find, like blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, bananas, or even pears. Make crazy fruity combinations or just stick to the basics. They all go beautifully with lobster. Don’t forget to include a dark rum floater atop each glass. That’s how you get the party started!.
This drink has whiskey, raspberry liqueur, and cranberry juice on ice, like the fun song by the B52s from the 1980s. It looks great served with lobster because of its bright red color, and the flavors go well together to make your senses happy.
To make the Rock Lobster cocktail more Floridian, replace the raspberry liqueur with amaretto. Why not serve it both ways and see which one you like best!.