Cocktails for Chicken Sausage Gumbo: The tastes of Louisiana's famous gumbos are a favorite in our home and I have had numerous opportunities for pairing different drinks with the lot of them. I have to go with four classic New Orleans cocktails. There is something about the region that -possibly unknowingly, but likely not - creates complementary tastes of their drinks and food. With that, highly recommended cocktails for this Chicken Sausage Gumbo have to be the Vieux Carre and Sazerac. Both cocktails feature rye whiskey, which is robust and hearty just like the gumbo and have equally complex spirits to make the experience even more interesting. On the lighter, slightly sweeter side, the Deauville Cocktail is ideal and, going back to the very complex, but refreshing and satisfying, the New Orleans Fizz is a sure winner.
Wines for Chicken Sausage Gumbo: When it comes to Cajun spice, two wine varietals immediately jump to the head of the pairing class. The first is an Alsatian Gewurztraminer, it can handle the spice by kicking in both body and its own intrinsic spice. This highly aromatic white wine will handle the heat and variety of meat that this bayou-based dish serves up. The second varietal to consider is an off-dry Riesling. The residual sugar content will help tame the heat and often a wine with a little lower alcohol level will elevate the wine's profile in the flavor mix, instead of just accentuating the gumbo's spice factor.
Beer for Chicken Sausage Gumbo:p]This is a rich, filling stew without a lot of extreme flavors. The beer served with it should be full flavored but mild enough so as to not overwhelm the flavors of the gumbo. I suggest amber lager. Ambers, brewed both as lagers and ales, are pretty common with breweries all over. With this dish lager is preferable because it tends to cleanse the palate better. It cuts through any fat from the sausage while the strong malt backbone of the beer blends very nicely with the spices and flavors of the gumbo. The light hopping found in most amber lagers lifts out the flavors of the pepper, okra and the smokiness of the sausage.
