The Absolute Best Donut And Cocktail Pairing For Your Next Boozy Brunch

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Happiness is a box of donuts sitting on your kitchen table, just waiting to get scrounged up. While the beverage you may associate with donuts most is coffee, these sweet treats also make an excellent pairing with a more adult selection: cocktails. Tasting Table asked Meredith Hayden, the creator of Wishbone Kitchen and author of "The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook," who recently partnered with Barilla as the pasta producer expands its Al Bronzo line with organic certification and a new radiatori shape, about the best cocktail and donut pairings. Her suggestion may surprise you. 

Hayden shared that she tried a matcha cocktail while in Japan — made with matcha tea, matcha liqueur, and club soda — which she described as "the perfect brunch cocktail" and suggested pairing with a classic glazed donut. "You're going to get so much flavor from that freshly made donut dough that you don't really have to mess with a ton of ingredients. You can just let it speak for itself," she said. Although unconventional, the grassy flavor of the matcha will balance the sweetness and subtle vanilla notes of the donut, making for a tasty and not overly saccharine bite.

The easiest way to pair donuts and cocktails is to think of their flavors and find opportunities for them to complement one another. In cookbook author Meredith Hayden's example, you get the earthy flavor of the matcha; however, in her words, "The key is sourcing the matcha liqueur." You can also find the same flavors in a matchatini — the espresso martini's earthy younger cousin — that will accentuate the vanilla undertones of the donut. Look for these contrasts in your potential pairings to create a balanced brunch treat. 

For example, an apple cider donut has notes of warm spice, which would make it an excellent pairing for a cozy hot toddy brimming with oaky bourbon and lemon juice. Chocolate and coffee are also a heavenly match, which is why you may want to try a chocolate-frosted donut and a drink made with coffee liqueur, like a classic White Russian or espresso martini. A Tom Collins cocktail, meanwhile, has bright lemony notes and the perfect amount of effervescence — perfectly suited for something that could accentuate that freshness, like a blueberry cake donut.