The best vegetarian and vegan food to enjoy with whisky

Whisky chilli cocktails

Pair with: vegan tofu ramen

Nothing heats up the night like a bowl of fresh ramen. Especially when made with our RZA presents: Ballantine’s X Flying Goose Sriracha Sauce. And luckily for you we’ve got a quick, vegan ramen recipe created by the legend himself.

Once you’ve made your crispy tofu and udon noodles, it’s time to get cocktail shaking. Save a bit of your sriracha to stir into our mango and chilli whisky drink or the Caledonia Caliente made with smooth scotch, coriander and lime. Slurp, sip and see the night out in style.

Ballantine’s Finest on the rocks

Pair with: fresh salads

We get that beginning with salads may be a little predictable when talking about the best veggie foods to combine with whisky, but salad is far from boring in our eyes.

When we think of salads, we think fresh, green, vibrant, and a mix of different textures, usually with a satisfying crunch in there somewhere. Think Buddha bowls, noodle salads and leafy green sides.

You can’t go wrong when pairing salad with Ballantine’s Finest Blended Scotch Whisky.

This light gold scotch with subtle sweetness and a floral finish pairs excellently with fresh dishes, and when enjoyed on the rocks it makes the ultimate accompaniment to your favourite vegan and vegetarian salads.

The classic Whisky Sour

Pair with: vegan cauliflower tacos

We like to add plenty of RZA presents: Ballantine’s X Flying Goose Sriracha Sauce to our vegan cauliflower tacos recipe to give them a hearty kick of spice along with a super creamy sweet chilli sauce.

If you’re a big fan of lip-puckering sour flavours, we suggest you pair this veggie food with a classic Whisky Sour. This 150 year old cocktail will always feel and taste totally timeless and satisfyingly sour. 

Swap the egg white for chickpea aquafaba for a vegan friendly version.

Ballantine’s Brasil and lemon soda

Pair with: vegan burrito bowls

For those who prefer a contrasting beverage for their spicy Mexican cuisine, we recommend pairing vegan burrito bowls with Ballantine’s Brasil. 

This mix of whisky and fresh Brazilian limes makes a fantastic addition to vibrant burrito bowls full of beans, rice, spicy veggies and fresh coriander. The lime cuts through the spicy savoury flavours and highlights the freshness in this tasty vegan meal.

Try mixing Ballantine’s Brasil with lemon soda for a refreshing long drink to quench your thirst and enhance your dinnertime experience.

Berry Beer whisky cocktail

Pair with: lemon garlic pasta

Sticking on the lemon theme, we love to enjoy a bubbly Berry Beer whisky cocktail with this super quick yet super flavourful vegetarian pasta dish. Its main flavours of tangy lemon, strong garlic and salty vegetarian parmesan make it incredibly moreish.

Lemon is a great flavour to pair with fizzy malty lager, that’s why shandies are so popular.

Our Berry Beer combines Ballantine’s Finest with your favourite lager, plus tangy lemon and blueberries along with sweet honey for a fizzy and delicious summery cocktail that works so well with this Italian inspired veggie favourite.

Feeling spicy? Try our sriracha pasta with tofu, a quick, tasty meal that goes down a treat.

Summer Pitcher

Pair with: BBQ Halloumi and mushroom burgers

Picture a sultry summer’s afternoon somewhere stunning, a gentle warm breeze ruffling your hair, a bangin’ playlist playing on the speaker, and the smell of something seriously delicious wafting into your nostrils… it’s barbecue season. 

The best vegetarian barbecue food in our opinion is a chunky halloumi and Portobello mushroom burger. This veggie burger favourite is just so juicy and meaty, and grilling the cheese and mushrooms on the barbecue gives it a deliciously smoky touch.

Your friends will thank you for rustling up a big sharing pitcher of our zesty summer scotch whisky pitcher, made with Ballantine’s Finest, Lillet Blanc, lemon soda and plenty of fresh lemon juice and green grapes to enjoy alongside their burgers. Sharing is caring. 

Sweet iced tea

Pair with: classic veggie picnic food

You may think picnic food is a little twee, but think again. We can’t say no to a tasty spread of finger sandwiches, veggie sausage rolls and scones with jam and cream – it gives us just the right amount of nostalgia.

And a picnic is made infinitely more “us” by swapping the tea pot for tall glasses of our Sweet Iced Tea whisky cocktail.

A shot of either Ballantine’s Finest or Ballantines 7 elevates iced tea to irresistible new heights, and makes an ace alternative beverage for a boozy picnic.

Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel

Pair with: creamy lentil curry

Hearty, warming and creamy is how we like our veggie curries, rather than spice being the stand out flavour profile, and that’s why we like to enjoy creamy lentil curries with Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel.

The creamy caramel flavour and vanilla aroma of this scotch makes it pair so well with velvety rich curries. We also recommend sipping 7 American Barrel at room temperature to enhance the warming element of a deliciously nourishing veggie curry.

Thinking about scotch in terms of how it pairs with food can give you a new perspective on this legendary liquor, and open up a whole new world of flavour experiences. We could go on and on about how to pair the best vegetarian and vegan food with whisky, as the options are quite literally endless.

Give our veggie food and whisky pairings a try, and then why not invent some of your own? There’s no rules, just make it delicious. 

Browse our whisky cocktail recipes to get those creative culinary juices flowing.