Let your drinks flights soar

When we talk about pairing, it’s often assumed that we mean drinks with food. But pairing drinks with each other, through a well-considered flight, can be just as engaging. A drinks flight gives guests reference points; it encourages comparison, shows intention and helps tell a story in the glass. Instead of asking “what goes with this dish?”, we should be asking “what does this drink reveal about the one next to it?”

At its core, a successful flight is about balance and progression. Every pour needs a job to do: setting the tone, building interest or offering contrast. Like a tasting menu, flights work best when they have a clear beginning, middle and end, and are inviting rather than overwhelming.

The starting point should always be a clear framework, which might be grape variety, region, brewing technique, fermentation style or hop expression. Once the framework is set, think in terms of weight, where light, medium and then fuller drinks help shape the order. Then, acidity, sweetness, bitterness and texture will guide how each drink sits alongside the next.

For wine flights, using the same grape from across regions is one of the clearest ways to engage guests and allows service teams to talk confidently about climate, winemaking and style. Pairing Judith Beck Blaufränkisch 2023 – a fresh, approachable Austrian red that shows finesse and drinkability – with Johan Vineyards Blaufränkisch 2021 from Oregon’s Willamette Valley shows how the same grape behaves in a New World context. Riper black fruit, wild herbs and pepper come to the fore, with brighter colour, firmer tannins and tangier acidity.

Old World versus New World flights work when the wines share a similar role at the table, even if the grapes differ. As an example, Saperavi Zurab Topuridze 2023 is a natural Georgian red with deep colour with flavours of forest fruit, gentle spice and a medium-bodied frame lifted by sapid acidity. Paired with this, 40/40 Cuarenta Malbec, Luca Pfister 2023 from Mendoza, offers a New World counterpoint where the fruit is darker and rounder, but the wine retains enough acidity to keep it balanced. Together, the contrast highlights climate and winemaking approach rather than quality.

Beer flights offer just as much opportunity for storytelling, especially when focused on hops or brewing technique. In a hop expression flight, pour a more assertive beer first to avoid dulling the palate, such as Lakes Brew Co DDH Pale, then move to a softer, juicier expression, such as Farm Yard Brew Co’s Chaff.

A technique-focused flight, such as pairing a crisp Löf Pilsner, also by Farm Yard Brew Co, with the malt-led Raise Helles Lager by Lakes Brew Co, works well when explained through process, lagering time, malt profile and balance, rather than flavour alone.

Flights benefit from restraint. Too much contrast across too many pours fatigues the palate and muddies distinctions. Avoid repetition – back-to-back, oak-heavy wines or overly hoppy beers flatten the experience rather than building it.

When done properly, flights aren’t about showing off; they’re about helping guests understand what’s in their glass and why.

Nicola Tickle is co-owner of Heft in Newton in Cartmel, Cumbria

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Photo: Jenny Jones Photography