Here's The Outright Best Salty Snack To Pair With A Martini

You might know some of the most classic wine and food pairings, or how to pair beer and food like a pro, but what about cocktails? Sipping a classic tipple at a bar with a bite is one of life's greatest pleasures, and if you're one of the many people who are imbibing more at home these days, you've likely upped your living-room mixology game and now want to know what to eat with your mixed drinks. Few cocktails are as in demand and ubiquitous as the martini, so starting there will give you a cocktail-and-food pairing foundation as tasty as it is useful when it comes to ordering at the bar or planning at-home cocktail parties. We asked an expert about cocktail and snack pairings, and Natalie Migliarini, content creator behind BeautifulBooze, suggests a salty favorite for the martini: french fries.

The explanation for the synergy between these two — beyond both of them being simply super tasty on their own — is that fries have saltiness, fat, and starchy, carby goodness that cuts the heat of the martini's alcohol. For all that salty perfection, though, fries are also fairly neutral, so they won't steal focus from the martini's relatively clean, delicate flavor profile. This dynamic duo has already proven a favorite in some of the hottest cocktail scenes. Especially when teamed up with a Caesar salad, it's been dubbed "the New York happy meal." 

Adding to the appeal of a classic martini with gin or vodka and vermouth and good old-fashioned fries is the fact that there are so many possible updates. There are many martini variations, from ratios of spirit to vermouth to fully flavored iterations like the espresso martini or the appletini. If you're staying with a straightforward martini with gin or vodka, you can use any dip or seasoning with your fries and get flawless results. Or, you can get a little creative.

The brine of a dirty martini would work well with the acid of vinegar on french fries — and that acid would match that of a pickle martini. There's a different kind of acid in a lemon drop martini, one that's bright, sour, and sweet, and mayo on fries would cut that with creamy richness. Play on how well roasty, bittersweet, chocolatey flavors work with spice and heat by teaming an espresso or chocolate martini with fries and chili powder, hot sauce, or gochugaru flakes. A super dry martini, meaning not much vermouth, would balance the sweetness of sweet potato fries with honey mustard, while a 50/50 — half spirit, half vermouth, for a slightly sweeter and lower-ABV take — would still cut through the fat of poutine while complementing its warm, rounded flavors. You can also think about garnishes: A Gibson swaps the martini's iconic olive for an onion, and would partner well with savory, smoky fry toppings like garlic or bacon.