I generally don’t order alcoholic beverages in restaurants with the exception of Mexican restaurants. At home, on fajita night, my dad always makes margaritas. There is just something nice about being buzzed and eating guac, chips, and softshell tacos.
Is this conditioning? Because my family often does this— or is this a more general phenomenon because Mexican food; by some quality yet unknown, be it texture, flavor, or smell, is uniquely well suited to being paired with alcohol?
Yes it is conditioning, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Alcohol is a solvent that can release flavors that water cannot. Alcohol can also bond with fats enhaving our perception of flavor.
So it isn’t alcohol and Mexican in particular but alcohol and whatever spices are dissolved by alcohol.
Maybe that’s why beer tastes sweeter when I’ve been eating very spicy food?
There’s a Vietnamese restaurant in Redding, CA (or near it, can’t remember) that serves Belgian beer with the food. The right pairing makes both things better. Also pretty sure I’ve read some studies about what alcohol does to our tastebuds and general olfactory system. Can’t be bothered to look them up. Food and drink pairings are legit though. But an alcoholic beverage does not work miracles.
There’s also something to be said about a celebration where food and alcohol are served creating fun times and memories that could cause things to be remembered more fondly. Great food is great without alcohol. Great food with rot gut is no better and often worse.
I do like my fish tacos better with a beer.
There’s a Vietnamese restaurant (…) that serves Belgian beer with the food.
Another person just commented that low hop beer (certainly applies to Belgian beers) goes well with most foods, and I took that to include spicy food. Maybe I should try this - because I’m usually a big fan of hops in beer and rarely drink it directly with food.
FYI, hops isn’t a required ingredient in beer. In fact beer originally didn’t have hops. And on the market today there are a good number of very highly rated beers that contain no hops
I never made such a claim; but yours is at least debatable
I didn’t say you made that claim, which is why i started my comment with “fyi”. And on your other point, according to every authoritative source i can find about what a beer is, hops are not required. Go look up the definition. Go look up Wikipedia. Go look up the history of beer on Wikipedia. Go look up any reputable source that explains what beer is
My friend, you’ve clearly never had a good doner kebab at 2:30am
If there’s an afterlife, I’m skeptical it can beat that
There’s no more sure sign of a good time me the previous night than finding kebab salad in your pockets.
Ahh Doner Kebab. That chain needs to make it to the states. When I was stationed in Germany I lived off that stuff…… and crystal weizen.
What chain? Doner Kebab is the name of the food, it’s served in several places, it’s like saying Hot Dog chain should make it to Europe.
hell I always thought the chain was called Doner Kebob.
The were sold out of these little yellow kiosks around Bad Kreuznach , if that helps.
Well, part of it is the margaritas I specific. That tangy goodness is going to match well with the general range of spices used in Mexican foods. Fajitas in specific have that bold and spice forward flavor profile that goes well with anything citrusy. Tequila has a fairly distinct flavor that mixes well with that lime and orangey mix. Most people already put lime on fajitas to begin with.
Stuff like guac is fatty enough to benefit from something like that to cut through it as well.
So you’ve essentially got a mouthful of amazing flavors that are used in Mexican food because they go well together.
Some alcoholic beverages are going to work with damn near anything. But if you tried a margarita with your meatloaf, you’d not be as impressed. Not until the fourth or fifth drink anyway.
Something like a low hop beer goes with pretty much any non dessert foods, allowing for personal preference. But you can select bears or wines that would not do well with mexican. Or select for those that would be as good as a margarita. Same with a u cuisine; the right beverage enhances the food, and vice versa.
10/10 analysis would eat again— will have the try this lip hop beer you speak of
Food designed for hot climates usually pairs well with cold beverages. I don’t Drink much, but my summertime Ceviche needs a mandatory Pacifico or Cucapá beer by it’s side.
Try weisswurst & sauerkraut paired with a Hefeweizen (mild white sausage and wheat beer).
Just you, alcohol goes well with other food too (and so it’s not unique) and while also enjoyable isn’t a prerequisite for mexican food enjoyment (I prefer agua fresca.)
Pacifico with fajitas is undefeated in summer.
softshell tacos.
Just fyi, those are just called tacos. They’re the default.
Peanuts go so well with beer that that’s how I started eating peanuts 😂
I quit drinking alcohol a few years ago except for one certain Mexican restaurant because their margaritas are so good with the food.
There are all sorts of fabulous food/alcohol combinations
Mexican food pairs really well with lime. Margaritas have a ton of lime.
Other pairings work really well, too. Most would agree that a great full bodied red wine would goes really well with steak or lamb or other red meat.
There’s a whole body of study on which drinks pair with which foods, and which foods pair with other foods. If your local library has it, I’d recommend checking out The Flavor Bible by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, which is a really useful reference guide for looking up an ingredient and seeing what other ingredients go well with it.
Tequila and Mexican food is a gift to the people. 🤤
(People in places that don’t neighbor MX are missing out. If I’m ever deported, I’m gonna preach the word where I go.)
