When I started drinking at LAB, I figured mead would be something I would try a couple times and maybe enjoy once in a while. I wasn’t ready for it to become a mainstay of what I drank. I also wasn’t ready for just how much flavor something as simple as honey wine could produce. My LAB friends have many finely honed skills, but figuring out a popcorn pairing well with their meads? Bro. That’s next level.
I always enjoy my pairing experiences at LAB, and this year’s popcorn pairing is no exception. Having had nearly every mead, cider, and possible combination on the menu, I like to think I’m familiar with trying to find the nuances of flavors. Sadly, I am just an amateur. On the plus side, I get to enjoy pairings like these!
The popcorns are provided by our friends over at Popcornopolis, and a big thank you to them. On to the pairings!
1. Kettle Corn with 04 Mead
Old favorite 04’s orange zestiness never felt like it needed salt to me and it’s already sweet. It is the best liquid sunshine I’ve ever had. Did it mix well with kettle corn? Heck yeah. Each is good on its own, and the combination adds a depth I never would have guessed. Instead of being just sweet, there are layers of sweetness, striations to use an expensive word. With the salt there to provide a comparison, the sweet strata leap out more readily. Salty and sweet and another sweet that’s distinct from the other sweet is a sensational combination, pun intended. This is my favorite orange-y pairing!
2. Caramel Popcorn with Cinnical Cider
Cinnical is beloved by all who love Cinnical, certainly. There are those who cannot stand up to the cinnamon punch provided, and they must stay away from its glory. However, I suspect many of those unable to step up to the Cinnical royalty experience would leap at the opportunity to taste a delicious apple pie. In combination, I certainly tasted cinnamon, and it intertwined with the caramelized sugar and buttery flavor, not to mention vanilla, to give me apple pie. I was expecting this to be good. Pies are not at all expected from the combination of popcorn and cider. Amazing. Mind blown. This is my favorite pie pairing!
3. Cheddar Corn with Barrel Aged Pucker-Up-Baby Mead
Cheddar cheese and sorrel (also known as Jamaican Hibiscus) is not a combination I would have ever considered. Despite having to google sorrel to even know what it was, I looked at this pairing and was confused. I did not know what to expect. This ain’t my first pairing, I knew there was something going on. After tasting each in isolation, my confusion was rising. After the pairing, I got it. I lack the language to describe it well, but this just works. The click happens, and the strong cheddar flavor works in harmony with the barrel aging and the sorrel to create a flavor chord that sings. I have no idea how, but dang. This is my favorite surprising pairing!
4. Zebra Corn with the Dark Cider
Let me be honest, I had never heard of Zebra Corn before these pairings. White and dark chocolate on popcorn? What? An unexpected treasure, I tell you what. Combined with the Dark Cider? Chef’s kiss. Chocolate and caramel dance in harmony with apples and caramelized beet sugar to create a rich and densely flavored waltz. I don’t normally care much about white chocolate, but here it works so well to add another layer of complexity to an already great pairing. This is my favorite striped pairing!
Yes, they are all my favorite pairing
Don’t look at me like that. Parents can’t pick their favorite children, pet owners can’t pick their favorite pet, and I will not say any one of these is better than the others. Each is complex and interesting in a different way, flavors combining and sometimes colliding in fascinating fireworks displays for the palate. I cannot pick just one, so I’m not gonna. If you want to pick a favorite, you’ll just have to try all the popcorn pairing combinations yourself!