Many people think that gin and tonic drinks are destined to stand alone, but we have to disagree. There are plenty of appetisers, meals, and even desserts that go well with this uniquely flavoured thirst-quencher - one of which is Asian and Mexican cuisine.
Asian cuisine includes several major regional cuisines: Central Asian, East Asian, North Asian, South Asian, South-east Asian, and West Asian. Asia, being the largest and most populous continent, is home to many cultures, many of which have their own characteristic cuisine.
Ingredients common to many cultures in the East and South-east regions of the continent include rice, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, chillies, dried onions, soy, and tofu. Stir-frying, steaming, and deep frying are common cooking methods.
And Mexican food? Mexican cuisine is a nice blend of indigenous and Spanish cuisine. It is still based on beans, corn, tortillas, and chilli peppers, but these are now usually served with some sort of meat and cheese. Most dishes come with some sort of rice and spices as well, a clear nod to the European influence.
Pushing the boundaries of flavour, Musgrave Crafted Spirits, well-known for their artisanal gins and brandies, has paired three delicious gin cocktails with a few of Cheyne Morrisby’s, exotic Mexican, Asian, and Pacific rim-styled dishes.
Cheyne Morrisby is the chef-owner of The Cheyne Morrisby Restaurant Group. Morrisby’s restaurants Mexicola, Cheyne’s, and Lucky Boa, all located at Hout Bay, are much-loved favourites for locals and tourists and if you can’t get on a plane to travel to Asia or Mexico, you can just make your way down to Hout Bay.
The menus are all an artistic expression of flavour that elevates one’s eating experience.
Below are Simone Musgrave’s top pairings that you must try this summer if you are visiting one of these restaurants.
Frozen Musgrave original margatini with smoky nachos from Mexicola.
This is a play on a margarita which is as Mexican as nachos – so they played with gin and all the margarita ingredients to create a fusion margarita that matches a fusion nacho.
Musgrave pink Saigon smash with sticky fusion chicken wings or Korean fried hot wings served with gochujang, honey, and sesame seeds from Lucky Bao.
The pink Saigon smash has the freshness and tartness of berries with the fragrance of rose and the sticky, sweetish, chilli wings with crispy skin are cooled but also given zing with the rose and tartness of the drink.
Musgrave original gimlet with crispy soft shell crab bao buns served with corn, cumin, coconut, Vietnamese leaf from Cheyne’s.
A gimlet is limey and lovely and the subtleness of the crab bao buns are complemented by, not only the spiciness of Musgrave gin, but also feels like the crab has been doused in lime without dulling the softness and subtlety of the crab.