Cover Manhattan x Roku Gin mooncake set (Photo credit: Manhattan)
Manhattan x Roku Gin mooncake set (Photo credit: Manhattan)
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Perhaps the more elaborate the mooncake, the simpler your pairing needs to be
In the weeks leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Mooncake Festival, you might be awash in hefty orbs of lotus or bean paste, on the gifting and receiving end. A friend shared that she was dreading the annual tasting of experimental mooncakes made by her darling kids in school as a festive activity.
I used to think that pairing mooncakes with wine or spirits was a flight of fancy, or luxurious indulgence. Now I see it might have something to do with fortifying yourself.
Whether you’re on team traditional baked or team frozen snowskin, there’s an alcoholic pairing you can enjoy alongside your decadent mooncakes. I confess, I quite look forward to them.
In the past couple of years, cocktail mooncakes have been steadily trending, a step above the spirit infused ones first made popular by Raffles Hotel Singapore with their champagne truffle snowskin, introduced in 1994.
Above Origin Grill's cocktail-infused mooncake
Origin Grill's cocktail-infused mooncake
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This year, award-winning hotel bars like Manhattan at Conrad Orchard Singapore, and Origin Bar at Shangri-La Singapore sent out some of the best creations I’ve had yet, a Roku Gin cocktail creation by the former called Purple Moon, and a Negroni-infused one by the latter. The snowskins were transcendental—supple of skin, loaded with rich fillings of chocolate and lotus paste, and almost perspiring with alcohol. Both come bundled with a bottle of the cocktail they are based on, but I found having the cocktail and mooncake together a touch too overpowering.
Having tried and tested mooncakes as a journalist for over 20 years, the most complementary pairings are often quite straightforward. Traditional baked mooncakes are best treated as a dessert, most fittingly paired with a variety of off dry, late harvest, botrytised and fruity sweet wines that will complement the sweetness and weight of the cakes. A semi-dry chenin blanc from Loire, or even a light, effervescent moscato d’Asti with ample acidity can help lighten the sensation of sugar on the palate and wash down the mooncake most satisfactorily.
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Above Manhattan's mooncakes imbued with Roku Gun
Manhattan's mooncakes imbued with Roku Gun
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Sometimes, wine can also overpower those delicate mooncakes. For a few years, Penfolds worked with Janice Wong on wine-infused mooncakes. A memorable creation in 2022 was the Penfolds Bin 8 Shiraz Cabernet infused within a white chocolate shell with lotus paste and cream cheese. As you can imagine, the delicate snowskin was completely overwhelmed by the full bodied young shiraz. When it comes to shiraz first or last, the dominant tannins tend to take over the palate, and is probably best enjoyed separately. An alternative pairing might have been the port-style Penfold’s Father 10 Year Old Tawny (which they once infused inside a 65 per cent dark chocolate snowskin), or even a sparkling or off-dry white wine.
A fascinating combination came courtesy of Ewineasia in the past. A double-yolked traditional baked mooncake was paired with Musella Amaarone Della Valpolicella DOCG. This rich red style of wine is dry, but comes with a raisin-like quality due to its production process where grapes are dried on straw mats for more concentration and skin contact. Amarone is a great choice, as it’s sure to satisfy both red wine drinkers and those with a sweet tooth. It was also perfectly refreshing when served chilled and slowly sipped, cutting through the savouriness of salted egg yolk in the cakes.
Never one to miss the opportunity, whisky brands like The Macallan and Glenfiddich have also infused their spirits into mooncakes, which are generally a very good match. I found these single malts, with their notes of hazelnuts and sherry, worked especially well with mixed nuts and ham mooncakes. Unlike the more tropical notes of rum or bourbon, single malt with dry, silky, and tea-like layers are a fine match for rich, heavy mooncakes. But when in doubt—there’s always a hot, soothing cup of tea to rely on.
As a journalist for over 20 years, June Lee eats and drinks for a living, even picking up a few wine certifications along the way. She doesn’t have a favourite wine or whisky because she has yet to taste them all. Send June your burning questions, brickbats and (wine) bouquets at www.instagram.com/junedrinkswine.
