After-Dinner Coffee Pairing

Coffees from different regions bring different nuances at mealtime. Choosing the right coffee to follow your main course dish can truly enhance your dining experience. Choosing the right brewing method can make the process flow as naturally as, well, a perfectly brewed pot.

First things first: coffee pairing. Coffee is like fine wine, it is the nuances of its flavor that dictate its affinity with the flavors of the table. For instance, you know to serve a good white wine with a pork or poultry dish. But what of the after-dinner coffee following this particular feast? Here are three easy rules to set the tone for an after-dinner brew that suits the moment to perfection.

Bring Africa to your table after dining on poultry or pork. Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee and Kenya AA are excellent choices after dining on white meats.

Red meats set the tone for Indonesian coffees. Serve Papua New Guinea Coffee or Sumatra Mandheling following a main course of steak, including after a summertime grill-side BBQ.

Keep that Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee in stock if seafood is the centerpiece of your menu.

Of course, it’s also a matter of taste. South American Coffees, such as your favorite Colombian Supremo, are most versatile and enjoyable after any special occasion. You can give it a special touch in the way you serve it, perhaps with beautiful, golden raw sugar nuggets on small individual dishes. Your unique mark of hospitality enhances the moment as much as the brew.

This leaves us with a final word on brewing methods. While the French Press offers an elegant addition to the table, the percolator has the added benefit of keeping the coffee warm. Not only this, but the sound of the bubbly infusion adds pure delight to that special moment after a shared meal when you and your guests sit back and settle into the rest of the evening. This is our favorite after-dinner brewing method. What is yours?