Dinner and Cocktails at Bistrology with Grey Goose Vodka

I had the amazing opportunity to be a dinner guest last week at Brew Bistro, Ngong road, for a Bistrology and Grey Goose Vodka experience. I wasn’t sure what to expect as all I had gotten from the brief was that we were going to be pairing dinner with cocktails. I’d attended dinner pairings with wine and whiskey but never cocktails, so the prospect was exciting.

Grey Goose Vodka

When I think of Grey Goose, I immediately think premium quality. Grey Goose vodka is made with the finest soft winter wheat and is distilled and bottled in the Picardy region of France. The distillate is then sent to Cognac, France, where it is blended with spring water and bottled.

Grey Goose is the first vodka to be produced in the Maître de Chai tradition, which allows aromas to be produced in the distillation process specific to Grey Goose vodka. Other than the original vodka, Grey Goose boasts 5 fruit infused vodkas: L’Orange, Le Citron, La Poire, Cherry Noir, and Le Melon and Grey Goose VX, which has a hint of cognac mixed in with the vodka.

4 Course Dinner

The dinner began with a delicious champagne and grey goose cocktail. After a lively conversation with the great company there, the dinner experience was set up. Joan Samia, was on hand to take us through the history of Grey Goose. She is an award-winning mixologist and is currently the Brand Ambassador for Bacardi-Martini Kenya responsible for the brands Bacardi, Martini, Grey Goose Vodka, William Lawson’s and Bombay-Sapphire. Joan knows her stuff and I have to say that it was great to see a woman shining in a male dominated field.

Before starting on the cocktails and dinner, we had a shot of Grey Goose to appreciate the vodka in its element. Grey Goose is a sipping vodka and its premium quality is evident from the smoothness once you have a shot.

Bistrology prepared a 4 Course Pairing Menu by Chef Rami Saloum.

Spiced Halloumi – Grey Kizuri

The starter was delicious and would be a hit as an appetizer at a party or as comfort food. The spiced halloumi cheese was pan-fried and the dish completed by pomegranate Grey Goose vodka jam, cherry tomatoes, mint leaves, lettuce and pomegranate seeds.

The Grey Kizuri cocktail made up of Grey Goose, Cointreau, homemade berry kiss syrup and pomegranate juice was the cocktail the dish was paired with and the elements in both complemented each other perfectly. Apparently, the original recipe for this cocktail had kiwi in it but was switched up to pomengranate for the Kenyan market and I think it absolutely works. I honestly, could have gone for a second serving of this pairing and it was my 2nd favourite of the night.

Crispy Quail – Red Goose

This dish consists of Grey Goose marinated pan-fried quail, tree tomato sauce, fresh coriander, green pea puree, cauliflower puree & a tomato, onion and garlic confi. It was full of flavour and I especially enjoyed the tree tomato sauce on the quail. I have had quail probably once before and it wasn’t memorable, so this was a fresh take that convinced me I probably should try more quail dishes.

The Red Goose cocktail consists of Grey Goose, Tree tomato, homemade mixed berry syrup, lime juice and cranberry juice and was delicious.

There was a Paneer Ravioli vegetarian option for this course as well, also paired with the Red Goose.

Banana Leaf Salmon – Bistro Lovito

What are the ingredients of the most perfectly balanced dish I have ever had? Steamed salmon wrapped in a banana leaf, Grey Goose, couscous, orange juice, fresh pineapple, green chilli, fresh coriander, citrus sauce & grated fresh coconut. This dish was the highlight of the night. The citrus sauce poured over the salmon was perfectly tangy and I basically hummed as I ate.

The Bistro Lovito made up of Grey Goose Orange Vodka, homemade masala syrup, pineapple juice, orange juice, rose syrup & lime juice was the perfect pairing for the best dish of the night.

There was a Sweet & Sour Tofu vegetarian option for this course but paired with a Spiced Mule.

Duo of Meringue – Goose Rula

This was a fluffy and creamy dish made of meringue cup, mixed berry ragout, cinnamon, Grey Goose vodka, fresh meringue topped with fresh berries & mint.

The Goose Rula consisted of Grey Goose vodka, Amarula, Galliano, banana & homemade mixed berry syrup and was sweet but not overpowering which I liked as I am not a fan of very sweet treats at dessert.

This was truly a fantastic night and I was impressed by the bistrology experience at Brew Bistro. Brew Bistro opened the Grey Goose bar in December 2016 as a partnership, offering an exclusive bistrology experience pairing Grey Goose cocktails with food. Mixology classes are conducted for groups of 8 at a cost of Ksh 5,000 per person at Brew Bistro, Piedmont Plaza. This is an experience I would highly recommend.