Smoke on Smoke: Pairing Smoky Whisky With Pastrami and Lox

10 food-friendly peated and smoky whiskies to try

I didn’t realize its significance at the time, but one of the last friendly arguments I had in a bar was about whether all Scotch is smoky. The bar had a cocktail on the menu that I knew to be refreshing and delicious, made with Scotch, and I suggested it to a friend. He wouldn’t order it, he said, because he doesn’t like smoky drinks.

But this isn’t smoky Scotch, I said. There’s nothing smoky tasting in any of these ingredients.

And it went from there, for what seemed like hours—explaining what makes some Scotch smoky and when it isn’t, explaining that the Scotch in that drink was a blend of all non-smoky malts. But there’s no convincing certain people! Some of us need no convincing, though. Smoky whisky can be delectable, satisfying, and soothing. There’s a reason it’s been around for centuries, and even replicated outside of Scotland, where the practice of drying barley over peat smoke originated.

My uncle, who would have been 80 this week, was an enthusiastic fan. When he liked something, he was all in. I don’t have any siblings, and as soon as my uncle, who spent most of the first 30 years of my life living abroad in Africa and Israel, moved stateside, we developed a strong familial camaraderie. Eventually our kinship came to include a ritual of indulging in smoked meats paired with smoky whisky. (By the way, we don’t keep kosher, in case you didn’t already guess.)

Phone rings: “Hello?”

The answer on the line, an impressive three-syllable belch of my name. It always elicited a fit of giggles.

“Hi, Uncle. How dainty.”

“Very nice. Listen, we doing sandwiches this week, or what?”

“Doing sandwiches” meant I had to bring a flask to lunch, which I happily did.

Sadly, Uncle Richard passed in January of 2018 after a torturous 10 years of various cancers that would retreat and return again even worse each time. But we managed a few “doing sandwiches” sessions enough to decide which whiskies we liked best with pastrami and corned beef.

In my own travels, I learned how well smoky whisky can pair with smoked fish. So for what would have been my uncle’s 80th, I picked up some pastrami and pastrami smoked salmon at Shelsky’s here in Brooklyn, and poured out some fiery whisky. It would have been more fun with the Jewish doctor jokes, but it all still tasted good.

Here’s some smoke on smoke to try at home:

Laphroaig Cáirdeas 2020: I look forward to Cáirdeas—a limited edition malt created by distillery manager John Campbell from different cask selections—every year. Since hugging is canceled in 2020, this bottling created annually for Laphroaig fans, is an especially welcome hug of whiskyness. This time it’s a union of the famously briny, medicinal and rubber tire-smoky (in a good way, and hey, this is the whisky that welcomes opinions) Islay single malt Scotch fully matured in second fill ruby Port barriques and ex-bourbon barrels, finished in red wine casks, which makes it a perfect accompaniment for meaty dishes like pastrami and brisket. (52% ABV, $100)

smoked meats and peated whisky to honor Uncle Richard at his memorial, photo by Amanda Schuster

Compass Box Peat Monster: Since this blended malt for lovers of robust peatiness was publicly rolled out in 2005, like any dynamic personality, it has evolved and also changed appearance over the years. The current Peat Monster combines two malts from different parts of Islay (Askaig and the South Shore). Don’t let the pale color fool you—the deep flavors and aromas are reminiscent of Kansas BBQ ribs served on a platter of seaweed with a marmalade-slathered biscuit. (Gold Medal Winner, 2020 NY International Spirits Competition, Non-chill filtered, 46% ABV, $65)

Bruichladdich the Classic Laddie: Octomore and Port Charlotte are fun as a phenolic dare (these are two of the peatiest Scotches on a phenolic parts per million or PPM-scale). But the considerably dialed down Laddie (the name is also a clue to how to pronounce the distillery’s name) is far more food-friendly, especially with smoked fish since it’s got a slightly buttery finish. (50% ABV, $60)

Ardbeg Wee Beastie and Uigeadail: Wee Beastie is a newish, youthful expression to the core Ardbeg range, that is fun to sip with food since it gets all hot and tingly as if it were a smoked Szechuan chili sauce (44.4% ABV, $50). Uncle R’s favorite was the 10 Year, until I introduced him to Uigeadail (‘Oog-a-dal’), which we kept sipping into the rugelach course (there was always rugelach), the dark smoke integrated with chocolate-covered cherry and fig thanks to its heavy sherry influence. (2020 NYISC Double Gold Medal winner, 54.2% ABV, $85)

Talisker Storm: It may not be everyone’s favorite Talisker, but think inside the lox—this expression, meant to celebrate the maritime feel of the Isle of Skye where it’s produced, is so good with salty, smoked fish and grassy herbs like dill. (2020 NYISC Gold Medal, 45.8%, $65)

Lagavulin 8 Year: My uncle was the one who turned me on to Lagavulin 16 year, which became a regular in our repertoire. But I was shocked at how creamy and rich a whisky half that age statement could be, proving good whisky is all about cask selection and blending technique, not numbers. If anything, it’s less iodine-y than the 16, and cuts through the fat of the pastrami nicely. (48% ABV, $80)

Westland Peated Single Malt: who says great peaty single malt whiskey has to come from Scotland? Westland uses a combination of barley sources, many grown in the distillery’s native Washington state, to add up to a gorgeous burst of BBQ and pipe tobacco smoke flavors with a tinge of rubberyness, resolved with flavors of cocoa, nuts, citrus peel and coffee. Double Gold medal winner, 2018 NY International Spirits Competition, 46% ABV, $85.

despite serene appearances, Isle of Skye is home to the smoky likes of Talisker Scotch, photo by Amanda Schuster

Other smoky whisky pairings to try

Whisky with a bit of a furnace finish isn’t just good with Jewish deli treats. In fact I had the Westland Peated during a Chinese feast just last February and it was amazing with the sweet-salty-spicy food. Here are a few other combinations to please your palate:

Bowmore 12 Year (40% ABV, $55) with oysters

Eat an oyster, immediately take a sip of this wonderfully briny Islay single malt. Or better yet, just pour some of the liquid onto the oyster (best with bigger, meatier ones) before slurping it up! Oyster luge!

Balcones Brimstone (53% ABV, $68) with, duh, barbecue

Some confuse smoke with peat. Some confuse peat with single malt. In this instance, this Waco, Texas distillery smokes its Blue Corn whisky with scrub oak for that sweet, sippable smokiness that is begging for a side of brisket.

The BenRiach Curiositas 10 Year (46% ABV, $70) with flourless chocolate cake or milk chocolate truffles

Whiffs of integrated sweet peatiness in this unusually peated Speyside malt add an extra dimension to the chocolate as it melts on the tongue.