Irish Whiskey and Seafood – A Pairing Made in Heaven

April 16, 2026

If you’re a regular reader of the blogs here on GreatDrams, you’ll no doubt know just how fond I am of Ireland. Sure, Scotch may be our speciality, but I’ve a very soft spot for Ireland, its amazing distilleries, and of course, the whiskey it produces.

Whenever I find myself in Ireland, especially by the coast, be it for work or pleasure, one of the first things I do when I get chance is head to a seafood bar or restaurant and tuck into some of my favourite fresh seafood dishes, complete with a dram of Irish whiskey of course.

Scotch whisky pairs incredibly well with seafood, but so does Irish whiskey. Because of that trademark smoothness thanks to its triple distillation, Irish whiskey goes with a variety of our ocean’s bounties. It doesn’t just work well, it lifts the flavours of the seafood and enhances the dining experience. As you’ve probably worked out, it’s Irish whiskey and seafood that I want to focus on today.

If you’re a seafood lover and can’t get enough Irish whiskey in your life, here’s a look at pairing the two together.

Monkfish

Monkfish is one of the more under-appreciated fishes in my opinion, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why that is.

Monkfish is sometimes known as ‘steak of the sea’ because it has a thick, meaty, fleshy texture, unlike flakier, more delicate fishes like cod. It has a buttery, sweet, lightly fishy flavour and works incredibly well with creamy sauces and stronger, spicier flavours like curries.

If you’re ever tucking into a spicy monkfish curry, perhaps a Thai or Goan curry, it will likely have a creamy, coconut-based sauce with plenty of fresh and fiery spices. These types of dishes go extremely well with full-bodied, sweeter, lighter grain whiskies. A great shout here would be Teeling Single Malt.

The whiskey shares a lot of the characteristics of sweet white wines, which also go great with seafood. It’s rich in white grape sweetness, complete with plenty of citrus notes, a gentle peppery warmth, and a creamy finish.

Sipping on a dram like this between mouthfuls will take any monkfish curry to a whole other dimension. Trust me, I’m speaking from experience here. You’ll taste spices you never even knew existed.

Roast/Baked Salmon

Salmon is an oily fish rich in healthy fats. Because of its richness, it not the strongest tasting of fish out there which is why it needs a stronger, smoother-tasting whisky to help bring out its natural flavours, rather than distract from them.

Baked or roasted salmon especially, needs a whisky to help lift its flavours. It works especially well with fresher, nuttier, sweeter, gently spiced drams just like those finished in sherry casks. They help to cut through the richness of the fish, without muting its taste.

Powers John’s Lane 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Whiskey is my recommendation here, as the combination of sweet and spicy bourbon barrels, combined with the Oloroso sherry casks help create the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, with just a hint of oak, which is a wood that also goes great with salmon.

Smoked Seafood

Smoked seafood such as kippers, smoked haddock, and of course, smoked salmon, has a wonderfully rich and smoky flavour. It works fantastically with peated Irish drams which help to bring out the taste of the seafood and the smoke at the same time.

If you’re tucking into smoked salmon for example, Connemara Peated Irish Whiskey would work great. Rich in smoky flavours and aromas, along with strong notes of honey and malt, it strikes the perfect balance between sweet, spicy, smoky, and briny.

For more subdued smoked seafood flavours, like a fish pie containing smoked haddock, Redbreast 12 is my recommendation. It’s sweet, zingy, and citrussy, with just the right balance of toasted oak and warming spice. These notes and flavours help to gently accentuate the smoky notes of the haddock, rather than punching you in the face with a smoke bomb.

Fish and Chips

Obviously, I couldn’t talk about UK seafood and not talk about fish and chips, as that would be sacrilege.

Fish and chips is one of our most popular dishes, and for very good reason. I’m a huge fan of the dish as you know, especially when I’m by the sea, and it wasn’t until recently, that I discovered just how amazing it could taste when paired with the perfect Irish dram.

Typically served drenched in salt and vinegar and cooked in beef dripping (the king of all frying mediums in my humble opinion), I’ve found that lighter fishes such as cod and haddock, go great with lighter whiskies. In this case, I can definitely recommend Teeling Small Batch Dot Bre IPA Finish.

The whiskey is finished in IPA beer casks and features strong lemony, zesty citrus notes. Most fish as part of this dish are coated in a beer batter before being deep fried, so of course a whiskey finished in beer casks works great. Fish and chips is also traditionally served with a wedge of fresh lemon, which is another reason why this dram works so well, thanks to the prominent citrus notes it has to offer.

If ever a dram was created to pair perfectly with fish and chips, this is it.

Oysters

Oysters are probably one of the most polarising types of seafood out there. People seem to either love them or loathe them. If you want a true taste of the sea however, you can’t go wrong with a fresh oyster. Irish oysters in particular, have a strong and maritime taste to them, with a wonderfully creamy texture.

Typically, you find raw oysters served over ice, with sea salt, fresh lemon, and a hot sauce. These really bring the oyster flavours to life. If you want to go a step further, however, a spicier Irish dram such as Teeling’s Wonders of Wood Swedish Oak works great. Offering up notes of candied ginger, orange zest, gingerbread, and winter baking spices, it’s a great little dram to sip on with fresh oysters.

Shellfish

Finally, if like me, you’re virtually addicted to fresh shellfish, you’ll want a light, fruity, smooth Irish whiskey such as Jameson’s Original or The Sexton Single Malt. These whiskies have clean, floral, crisp, citrus notes and flavours that work unbelievably well with shellfish.

Whether you’re tucking into a dressed crab with brown bread and lashings of butter, or a prawn cocktail packed full of sweet and juicy Atlantic prawns, fruity, and stereotypically smooth Irish drams work best here and will really elevate your dining experience.

I’m now off to grab a pack of prawns and see what Irish whiskey I can lay my hands on to go with them, so until next time. Slainte.

If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two in the process, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at the diverse selection of unique whiskies we currently have in stock.

With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.