With approximately 942.5 million servings of chicken wings consumed in 2019 alone, it is safe to say wings are an American sports bar staple. The overwhelming popularity of this savory snack can be attributed to chicken wings’ delicious crispy skin and finger food status, which makes them perfect for parties and bars. Another beloved aspect of chicken wings is the endless potential for flavors depending on the sauce or rub. When these flavor vessels are paired with the right beverages, it can enhance the experience even more. Believe it or not, there’s a science to pairing beverages with chicken wings to level up your meal.
Chicken Wing Consumption
In 2019, Americans consumed around 1 billion servings of chicken wings, cementing their status as a true staple of the American sports bar menu. Wings have been famous in the Buffalo area since the 1960s, with origin stories ranging from the small restaurant owner, John Young, to the ever-famous Anchor Bar. Then, when the Buffalo Bills advanced to the Super Bowl four years in a row, chicken wings became the official football foodand can be found at every sports bar. However, as chicken wings’ popularity continues to grow, many bars are searching for ways to elevate the menu item and stand out from competitors. One way sports bars are trying to provide fresh takes on chicken wings is with unique beverage pairings to enhance trendy wing flavors.
Under the Wing-Fluence
With Buffalo chicken wings come big, bold flavors, and finding the perfect beverage pairing can be intimidating and challenging. However, with a basic understanding of wine and beer flavors, putting together an incredible menu pairing wings and drinks is very simple. For example, contrasting flavors is a great way to pair beverages and wings. Consider offering them alongside sweet, acidic drinks if you’re serving classic buffalo wings. A pale ale, IPA, or white wine like Riesling is sweet enough to compliment buffalo wings’ subtle heat and has enough acidity or citrus flavor to cut through the sauce’s high-fat content.
Most importantly, don’t just stop at drink pairings when perfecting your game day menu. Consider serving additional appetizers and sides that compliment your chicken wings. Some great food pairings are French fries, mozzarella sticks, and tortilla chips with cheese dips, which also happen to be some of America’s favorite fried-food, game-time menu items.
Tools of the trade: Best Equipment for Cooking Wings
To keep up with emerging game-day food trends, bar menus rely on quick, easy-to-make food that requires little labor. Sports Bars looking to up their chicken wing game this football season need reliable frying equipment they can depend on. Pitco offers an array of specialty frying equipmentto prepare your bar for game day crowds. Our fryers are designed to be efficient and fast to increase profits and provide your bar with the best frying solutions.
Start with Pitco as you search for the perfect chicken wing fryer.
