What's The Best Single Malt To Pair With Pecan Sandies? Look No Further

Bottles produced: 1,718. Price: $3,755. F***s given: 0. (Not sure what that means, but it sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it?) (Photo courtesy Diageo)

I remember talking with the famed bartender/bar program director/all-around legend Leo Robitschek, maybe a decade ago, about pairing spirits and cocktails with food. He saw the possibilities, but dismissed out of hand the thought of pairing anything but wine with a proper meal — I wish I had an exact quote from him, but you’ll just have to trust me on this one. Now, in 2023, nobody, including chefs and sommeliers, bats an eye at customers who want a different cocktail with each course, or want to drink whiskey neat throughout their meal. And to this development I say RIGHT ON, because I’ve never been much of a wine guy, and frankly, a cocktail followed by half a bottle of wine would knock me on my ass. I’d rather stretch out my pre-dinner martini or Manhattan to last at least through the appetizers.

Spirits brands have clearly been on top of the cultural shift towards pairing food with the hard stuff, as evidenced by the Singleton’s Epicurean Odyssey series, a trio of extra-aged single malts intended to pair with food. I wasn’t fortunate enough to taste the first two in the series. But I got to try the third, along with a dessert created specially for pairing with the whisky by Eunji Lee, owner of Lysée in NYC. The pairing was indeed delicious, with the nutty, buttery pecan financier complementing the rich, fruity notes of the whisky. But what if you don’t live near Lysée? Well, the press release for the whisky did include a recipe for it, but that seemed complicated and time-consuming. So I went looking for a substitute… and found one in the snacks aisle at my local supermarket. So not only did I get to try a truly superlative whisky — with or without dessert nearby — but I also remembered how damned delicious Keebler Pecan Sandies are. With or without 40 year old whisky.

Anyway… read my review at Forbes (link is -> HERE <- ) to find out more!