Top 3 Beverage Pairings for Plant-Based Foods

Discover the top 3 beverage pairings for plant-based foods! Enhance your vegan meals with perfect drink combinations, from refreshing wines to craft beers and mocktails. Elevate your dining experience today!

Food and drink are often talked about as if they’re two separate categories. In reality, there’s an immense amount of overlap, particularly when it comes to meal planning.

For those who are committed to the plant-based lifestyle, or even if you’re just dabbling with it at the moment, you can really elevate what you eat by selecting the right beverages to enjoy alongside each meal. So with all that in mind, here’s a round-up of just a few potential pairings to whet your whistle and turn your taste buds up to 11.

Kombucha and Fermented Veggie Bowls are a Probiotic Powerhouse

If you’re looking for a gut-friendly pairing, then combining kombucha with fermented veggie bowls will hit the spot. Both pack probiotics, which aid digestion and boast bold flavors. Fermentation is a fast-growing trend, with $1.3 billion in sales expected to be racked up this year, so you’ll be tapping into an already-popular approach on top of all that.

Here’s why they work well together:

• Complementary Acidity: Kombucha’s tangy kick pairs well with the sour notes of fermented veggies.
• Digestive Boost: Combined probiotics from both enhance gut health, promoting better nutrient absorption.
• Flavor Synergy: The effervescence in kombucha lifts earthy tones from veggies like kimchi and sauerkraut.

For an even more robust experience:

• Choose ginger or turmeric kombucha to add spice without overwhelming the palate.
• Include colorful veggies like carrots, beets, and red cabbage for visual appeal and added nutrients.

Pairing these together not only tastes great but also supports your microbiome, so it’s perfect for anyone who wants to restore balance to their diet. And accessing a range of kombuchas, as well as a bevy of other beverages, is easy thanks to providers like Columbia Distributing, where you can also find a range of other top-quality quaffable drinks.

Craft Beer with Veggie Burgers is a New Age BBQ Pairing

For people craving a hearty combo that’s ideal for summertime satisfaction, try craft beer with veggie burgers of your choice. This pairing brings a refreshing, rich flavor profile to your plant-based BBQ.

The perks of this pairing include:

• Rich Malts: The caramel and roasted notes in craft beers enhance the umami flavors of plant-based patties.
• Balanced Bitterness: Hoppy beers cut through the burger’s fattiness, creating a refreshing contrast.
• Wide Variety: From IPAs to stouts, different craft beers offer unique pairings for varied taste experiences.

For optimal enjoyment:

• Go for an IPA from the likes of Sierra Nevada if you like citrusy hops balancing the burger’s savoriness.
• Choose a porter or stout from breweries like Sain Arnold and Allagash for deep chocolate and coffee undertones that complement grilled flavors.

This duo turns any vegan BBQ into a flavorful feast, so it’s well suited to impressing friends and family at your next cookout. And since 4% of people are now vegetarians, you’ll be catering to a growing number of guests’ diets as well.

Herbal Teas with Spicy Curries Create a Calming Heat Synergy

A spicy curry can really enliven a dinner party, but is the type of dish that also tends to intimidate the uninitiated. Thankfully if you pair it with herbal tea, you can balance out the heat and provide both refreshment and relief.

Here’s why this makes sense as a combo:

• Cooling Effect: Herbal teas like peppermint or chamomile offer cooling properties that soothe spicy sensations.
• Aromatic Harmony: The subtle flavors in herbal teas enhance curry spices without overpowering them.
• Digestive Aid: Many herbal teas help digestion, making them perfect companions for rich, spicy dishes. Try calendula tea!

For a well-rounded experience:

• Opt for mint tea to counteract the heat with a refreshing burst.
• Try lemongrass or ginger tea to add complementary aromatic notes.

Also keep in mind that particularly punchy curry dishes can be counteracted with the likes of plain yogurt, or traditional equivalents like raita and lassi. And since Indian restaurants now account for 8% of all eatery visits worldwide, sitting in third place behind Chinese and Italian outlets in terms of raw popularity, you’ll be showing your on-trend knowledge if you take this path.

Whether kombucha, craft beer or herbal teas take your fancy, it’s clear that with a little thought you can pair any plant-based meal with a beverage that will blow you away in terms of how it elevates the experience. And if you’re willing to experiment, you will discover even more combos to add to your rotation.