KFC and Bourbon pairings

In my house, take away is a treat. We only eat it when I have not had any time to cook, or when the weekend was just so lazy that I could not bother. One of our preferred fast-food is KFC. 

And it seems that I am not alone in loving the crispy fried chicken. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is the most prolific brand in South Africa, with over 800 stores spread across the land. Kentucky in KFC and Kentucky in bourbon made me think… would the two work together? 

You know I am always up for experimenting, so this past weekend, off I went to KFC for a bucket of chicken.  John was in the mood for Zinger wings, so I grabbed a few of those as well.

In the summer of 1955, Colonel Harland Sanders was a relatively unknown entrepreneur in Corbin, Kentucky, with a roadside restaurant, a fried chicken recipe, some spices, and a dream. He probably messed up his wife’s kitchen and drove her crazy; he looked at using a pressure cooker for cooking the chicken quickly.

The Colonel identified the potential to franchised this idea to bring it into the fast-food market. As competitors could easily use the pressure cooker, he came up with exciting herbs and spice combination to make his chicken stand out.

The Colonel’s original recipe of 11 herbs and spices is one of the best-kept trade secrets in the catering industry. Many people have claimed to have discovered it. Going to the KFC down the road is so much easier than messing up my kitchen. 

Also Read:  Whisky Truffles Recipe

Pairing Bourbon with KFC

Pairing bourbon with fried chicken is about finding balance.  he bourbon’s spices and sweetness should not overpower the well-known crunchy crust of the KFC but work together to enhance the flavourful juicy meat. KFC is very much comfort food. 

When you are travelling across the globe, and you need some comfort, there is bound to be a KFC not far off. Pairing this with bourbon might just create a match made in foodie heaven…  Let’s try…

I first lined up the bourbons from my favourite (Makers Mark) to my least favourite (Elijah Craig). Then for ‘testing purposes’ added the Jack Daniel’s at the end of the line. The results were interesting, and not what I expected. I also rated the chosen bourbon suitability with the Zinger wings as the results were quite different from the friend chicken bourbon pairing.

Makers Mark Bourbon & KFC

One of my favourite bourbons!  The Makers Mark is probably the bourbon I replace most often.  The notes of condensed milk, cherries, brandied fruit, toasted oak and sweet vanilla and cinnamon spice are just so satisfying. It is wonderfully smooth with a fantastic balance between the vanilla sweetness and the cinnamon toasted oak spicy notes. 

However, this was the worst pairing with the KFC. It just created a peppery, spicy combination that made my eyes water. I looked up at John and realized he felt the same way. I give this pairing a RATING: 2/5.   

John sees himself as a bit of a Zinger Wings connoisseur. He has tried Zinger Wings on various continents, and when he paired the Zinger Wings with the Makers Mark, he had a big smile on this face.  The Makers Mark worked perfectly with the spicy Zinger Wings.  No surprise that I give this KFC and Bourbon pairing a RATING: 4.5 / 5.

Eagle Rare Bourbon & KFC

Next up was the Eagle Rare that was our first Bourbon for 2017.  Not as sweet as other bourbons, the Eagle Rare had notes of vanilla, toffee sweetness, brandy pudding, fresh-cut flowers, hints of toasted oak and pepper, chilli peppers, nuts,  and creamy cocoa.

This pairing offered nothing  new. You taste KFC, you taste Eagle Rare, but nothing special. Thus, I give this KFC and Bourbon pairing a RATING: 2.5 /5. 

Pairing it with Zinger Wings was disastrous. John described it as drinking methylated spirits. Not a good pairing at all. RATING: 1/5

Jim Beam Black  & KFC

Last year the Jim Beam Black bourbon impressed me. It is super affordable and delicious.  Notes of cinnamon spice, cherries, lots of vanilla notes, BBQ sauce and hints of caramel. This Jim Beam has an unusual freshness, and it is smooth and creamy. Pairing the KFC with the Jim Beam Black bourbon brought out lots of spices in the whiskey, while the chicken became sweeter and creamier. As a result,, I give this pairing a RATING: 3.5/5. 

The spicy Zinger Wings brought out lots of vanilla notes in the bourbon, and the pairing was quite lovely. Again, this KFC and Bourbon pairing gets a RATING: 3.5/5. 

Elijah Crag 12 yo Bourbon & KFC

I tasted the Elijah Craig 12 yo bourbon sometime in 2015 and found it quite bold.  My notes captured hints of toasted warm oak spice, pepper and nutmeg, citrus peel, candy apple, toffee, Christmas pudding and cinnamon baked apples with faint bits of jasmin. Not a bourbon I drink regularly. 

However, the KFC transformed this whiskey.  It made the whisky creamy and smoothed out the spicy notes. The chicken became rich and delicious and the pairing was excellent. I give this pairing a RATING: 4.5/5.  

And with Zinger Wings?  Not so much.  It did not work. Do not try.  It gets a RATING: 1/5.  

Also Read: Suncamino Rum Cocktails

Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey & KFC

Purely for testing purposes, I grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 as well.  Just to see if it did anything with the KFC.  My notes for Jack Daniels include butterscotch sweetness with some honey, vanilla and oak with a hint of smoke., dried fruit and marzipan.

O WOW.  Paired with the KFC chicken, this was great. Both elements were creamy and rich, and the vanilla and charred oak of the Jack Daniels enhanced the chicken. I give this pairing a RATING: 4.5/5.  

Zinger Wings?  No, the wings did nothing for the Tennessee whiskey and visa versa. I give it a RATING: 2/5.  

Conclusion:  KFC and Bourbon Pairings

The best whiskey to grab when you have KFC is an Elijah Craig or Jack Daniel’s Old No 7.  It just creates a comfort food pairing with which you can relax.  

The best whiskey to pair with Zinger Wings was the Makers Mark.  It balanced out the spicy wings very nicely.  

In a pinch, the Jim Beam Black is probably the best all-round bourbon whiskey to pair with anything from KFC.   There you go.  Dinner sorted.  😉

What do you think?

Also Read: My Top 5 Whisky Food pairings