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The best food and drink pairings for Christmas in July
Planning a Christmas in July feast? We make it easy for you to entertain at home with a menu of delicious dishes paired with best-value drinks from Liquorland.
Aussies get the best of both worlds when it comes to Christmas entertaining. We get to pull off a cracking celebration in December with all the advantages of warm sunny weather, outdoor parties and tables filled with fresh seafood, colourful salads and seasonal summer fruit desserts. But if we’re smart, we can also enjoy a second round mid-year by putting on a Christmas in July feast. This is your chance to do Christmas the way they do in the Northern Hemisphere, getting cosy inside with your gang before getting stuck into an indulgent menu showcasing classic Christmas food and drink pairings. Mulled wine, anyone?
The stylish starter
The beauty of having small bites for your starter is you can choose whether to plate them up at the table or just hand them around on a platter while you’re enjoying the drinks. Smoked salmon is a classic choice for Christmas canapés – not only does it look and taste festive, it’s also super easy to prep ahead.
Make this:
Smoked salmon blinis – buy the blinis, whip up the herbed cream cheese and top with salmon and bright pops of pomegranate for an impressive starter that’s ready in only 10 mins.
Pair it with:
Canard-Duchêne Brut NV Champagne – this award-winning French fizz comes in a fancy gift box, which is handy if you and your mates are doing Secret Santa.
Why it works:
With intense fruity aromas from the mix of 40% pinot noir and 40% pinot meunier grapes, this golden Champagne’s crisp bubbles cut through the creaminess of the blinis, while the toasty brioche notes go well with the the smoky flavours of the salmon.
The main event
A show-stopping main is essential for any celebration feast. Outside of the Christmas shopping season you may not be able to get hold of a whole turkey or leg of ham for your table. But if you can get hold of a portion of ham to glaze and bake, you’ll be able to share one of the all-time highlights of an Australian Christmas in the heart of winter.
Make this:
Baked ham with brown sugar and bourbon glaze – the ham is already cooked, so all you have to do is make a simple glazing mix flavoured with whiskey or dark rum, rosemary, cinnamon and allspice.
Pair it with:
A bold NZ white The Ned Chardonnay or a trusty Aussie craft beer, James Squire 150 Lashes Pale Ale.
Why it works:
Both of these drinks have the fruitiness you’re looking for in a pairing for classic glazed ham. The Ned’s notes of vanilla, butter popcorn, stone fruit and sweet spices pair well with the bourbon flavours in the glaze. The sticky brown sugar ham also pairs beautifully with the subtle toffee notes in this refreshing pale ale, which has just enough bitterness to balance the richness of the ham.
The festive dessert
It’s no surprise that celebrating Christmas Down Under, so many desserts are made in the fridge rather than the oven. But Christmas in July is your opportunity to switch chilled desserts for something more hearty that’s baked and comforting.
Make this:
Mini gingerbread naked cakes – these sticky spiced cakes can be made ahead of time, plus the recipe converts easily to one rectangular cake if you don’t want the fuss of serving individual ones.
Pair it with:
Levenside Special Reserve Single Scotch Whisky – this rich and full-bodied 10-year-old Highland malt recently won Silver in its category in the The Scotch Whisky Masters 2023 Awards.
Why it works:
There’s something special about pairing the kick of ginger with the smokiness of a good Scotch. With its dulce de leche drizzle, this cake matches perfectly with the layered caramel and vanilla flavours in this smooth, sweet and fruity whisky that also has notes of poached pear and lemon zest.
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