Seafood & Vodka: Spring Coastal Pairing

For some, it may seem contradictory that you can combine seafood and vodka. But don’t be fooled, the purpose here is to build the contrast between the union of the ingredients and the mixture of vodka with seafood. So as long as everything is balanced, no ingredient should dominate. The advantage of a premium vodka is that it is neutral and pure, and therefore the flavors of the fish and seafood can get through fully.

There are several key reasons why this combination is so successful:

- Taste neutrality: Good quality vodka shouldn’t have any prominent or unusual taste and has no effect on the taste of fresh fish and oysters.

- The palate cleanser: Vodka is believed to act as a palate cleanser and be appropriate to drink between food servings, working particularly well between servings of seafood dishes.

- Textural harmony: The silky texture of LEX by Nemiroff pairs well with the delicate, oily or elastic textures of fresh fish, shrimp and octopus.

Those features allow LEX by Nemiroff to be the standard in creating a perfect harmony of culinary compositions. If you know the basic rules of harmonious combination of flavours, you will easily turn into a real connoisseur and even a virtuoso of cuisine. A little practice goes a long way, soon you’ll be able to turn an ordinary dinner into a truly unforgettable masterpiece.

Spring brings a variety of unique seafood products that are light, fresh and very energetic. They require no less gentle and refined treatment of accompaniments. A spring seafood and vodka pairing is an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective and to freely express one’s creativity in the kitchen. And with LEX by Nemiroff in mind, it is easy to turn this creativity into a reason for using refined and noble vodka with floral notes of linden blossom and honey.

For light spring dishes such as fresh oysters, grilled shrimp or tender white fish fillets a pure, chilled LEX by Nemiroff is the best choice. Serve chilled in a NUDE Finesse SOF glass with a grapefruit zest to bring out the freshness of the seafood and create a light citrus accent.

Here are some ideas for inspiration:

- Oysters with lemon and LEX. A drop of LEX before eating the oyster and the taste comes to life – the salt from the sea is emphasized and you get a lemony zest in the after-taste. Mix with a few drops of lemon juice and the best appetizer is ready for the evening.

- Shrimp, grilled and served with a mint and lime sauce. A very light and fresh sauce made from a mixture of lime juice, chopped fresh mint and olive oil. LEX has a cooling effect, which really balances out the flavor in this light and fresh dish.

- Salmon Tartare with Cucumber: The crisp freshness of a cucumber, the texture of the salmon and the slight hotness of the capers are all balanced by the vodka. Add a squeeze of lemon zest and all is right in the world.

The possibilities of mixing seafood with spring products are endless and open up a whole new world of taste options. The rule is not to overload the product with thick, heavy sauces so that the seafood and LEX purity shine through.

Magic begins where the sea and the land meet. Dive into the world of coastal seafood vodka pairing and find out how ingredients from the coast combine with the elegant spirit of LEX by Nemiroff.By doing this you will create a truly magical dining experience that will evoke the spirit of the coast.

For more elaborate dishes such as mussels in a creamy sauce, fried monkfish, seafood pasta or grilled octopus we recommend that you choose LEX as a more complex and composed form of service. A light cocktail may be served to enhance the different flavour nuances of the main dish.

- LEX Cucumber Edelweiss Vodka Tonic: A mixture of fresh cucumber and a touch of the mysterious and unusual edelweiss. As unusual as the combination of flavours may sound, it pairs amazingly well with fried fish and mussels, so give it a try.

- LEX Classic Vodka Tonic: We believe that the pure taste of a vodka tonic with a slice of lemon is a match made in seafood heaven.

- LEX Spritzer: A great accompaniment to shrimp, octopus and fresh tuna appetizers. Perfect for a festive dinner by the sea.

- LEX Grapefruit Bergamot Vodka Tonic: A combination of citrus which pairs well with oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. The freshness will balance out the fat.

All those cocktails were carefully created with a focus on the individual flavours of the ingredients used.

To serve LEX by Nemiroff with seafood is an art. But serving vodka with seafood and turning it from an ordinary dish into a gourmet experience is a skill that can be developed.

Here are the key principles of perfect serving:

- Temperature: The ideal serving temperature for LEX is between 0 and 4 °C for an optimal mouthfeel and tasting experience. Store it for 4 – 6 hours in the fridge before serving.

- Glassware: A NUDE Finesse SOF glass or a very old and heavy, old fashioned type of glass is best for clear beverages, as these help to keep the beverage cool.

- Garnish: Grapefruit, lemon zest, fresh mint, a sprig of rosemary or elderflower are all great options. Fresh herbs are a wonderful way to balance out the salt from the seawater that makes up part of the sauce.

- Serving order: Start with light dishes and neat vodka and progress to richer and more complex dishes and cocktails.

Follow these few rules and your vodka pairing with seafood dishes will be a real highlight of the evening while you’ll be the life of the party.

It's finally time for a gastronomic spring. We would like to invite you to try our seafood and vodka pairing menu, which was prepared with love by LEX by Nemiroff bartenders. Why do vodka and seafood pair well together? The love affair between them is as old as time. As simple as shaking the ice and serving fresh oysters with a squeeze of lemon, as extravagant as serving mussels in a creamy sauce and letting LEX bartenders guide you to enhance the specific characteristics of the seafood.

Try out all possible ways of serving our vodka and cocktails. From serving LEX by Nemiroff neat, with tonic and a slice of cucumber or in the specially created spring fresh cocktail – your new house vodka – served in a glass filled with ice and mixed with a splash of fresh lime juice, a slice of cucumber and a handful of fresh mint. Whether it is quality, creativity, tradition or innovation and no matter what level of service, what is needed above all is passion. So enjoy every glass and every minute.