Traditionally accompanied by hot tea and eaten in dainty wedges for the Mid-Autumn Festival (Sep 19), mooncakes have a real old school rep. But they can be given a fun update with the right booze pairings. Dense and heavy, the desserts are surprisingly good coupled with a range of tipples. Besides, the alcohol can be a great digestif. Here are eight ideas to get you started.
Granny Smith-Lemongrass Chocolate Snowskin Mooncake
Drink it with: Wolf Blass Red Label Moscato
Why: “This fruity bubbly works with the subtleness of the lemongrass and also handles the sweetness of the chocolate with an acidic finish,” says Andrew O’Brian, regional general manager for Treasury Wine Estates.
Find them: Mooncakes $54 at The Regent Singapore; wine $24.90 from Cold Storage.
Go Green Mooncake
Drink it with: Sailor Jerry spiced rum
Why: Filled with caramelized banana, this snowskin mooncake marries well with the cinnamon-y nutmeg-y rum. Kind of tastes like banana flambé.
Find them: From $58 from SweetSpot; $170 (with four mixers) from Sauce.
Golden Custard Mini Mooncake
Drink it with: Gravitas Hugo’s Delight Late Harvest Riesling 2005
Why: To complement the richness of the egg yolk custard filling, a buttery vino like this late-harvest Riesling is ideal.
Find them: $69 at The Fullerton Hotel; $27 from E Wine Asia.
Pandan Kaya Cheesecake Mooncake
Drink it with: Pio Cesare Moscato d’Asti
Why: This moscato has enough body and flavor to stand up to creamy cheese and aromatic pandan.
Find them: $18/piece and $68/box at Au Chocolat; $45 from 1855 The Bottle Shop.
Pure Tea Snowskin Mooncake
Drink it with: Majella Sparkling Shiraz 2007 Vintage
Why: This mooncake is filled with milk chocolate mousse and has a blackcurrant center. And the jammy sparkler mirrors the fruitiness of the cake, while also balancing the heavy chocolate with bubbles.
Find them: $15/piece and $52/box from TWG Tea; $57.50 at The Providore.
Macadamia Nut Ice-cream Mooncake
Drink it with: Grahams White Port
Why: Bartender Zachary de Git from the Tippling Club says, “The port has strong tropical notes, which contrast well with the flavor of the mooncakes. The great thing about white ports is they are not as heavy as other fortified wines. That slight acidity makes the mango center in the ice-cream mooncake more pronounced.”
Find them: $48 at HäagenDazs; $48.80 from Monopole.
White Lotus Seed Paste with Taiwan Songshan Pineapple Mooncake
Drink it with: Malibu Coconut Rum
Why: As déclassé as this sounds, the good old pina colada combi works a charm: The blend of creamy coconut and tangy sweet pineapple never gets old.
Find them: $23.80 from Din Tai Fung; $67 from Alcohol Delivery.
Yuzu Vodka Truffle Snow Skin
Drink it with: Saint Clair Marlborough Riesling 2009
Why: The sweet citrus flavors of this Riesling complement the yuzu in the mooncake.
Find them: $52 from Bakerzin; $42 from Wines Online.
Not keen on booze? Try pairing mooncakes with tea.
