7 Delicious Cocktails That Go Well With Oysters

Oysters are all at once affordable seafood and a sought-after delicacy. If you’re planning to serve oysters, you need an equally exquisite drink to go with them.

Fortunately, oysters are a versatile dish that can go great with just about anything — especially alcohol. Finding the right cocktail to go with someone’s oyster dinner is not a complicated process.

Why are Oysters Great with Cocktails?

Oysters were once only eaten by the wealthy . However, oysters are much more affordable these days, so people won’t find an excuse not to treat themselves and partake in this lovely food.

It’s a simple and cheap way to feel like royalty. And what’s royalty without a fancy cocktail to complement your meal?

Oysters are salty, which makes them the perfect counterpart of sweet and sugary drinks. Cocktails can offset the saltiness with another flavor, whether sweet, spicy, or sour.

Oysters also have a buttery taste, and since they’re full of flavor, they can cleanse the palate and keep patrons from feeling like they’ve had too much of a good thing.

Top Cocktails to Pair with Oysters

Sugary and herbal cocktails alike can go exceptionally well with oysters, but so can oyster-based drinks. That’s right! You can make a cocktail out of some of your leftover oysters to enjoy even more of this seafood.

Suggest these cocktails to your friends and customers alike if they need an idea for what to pair with oysters. They just might discover a new cocktail go-to!

1. The Stinger

The Stinger cocktail is made with gin, perfect to offset the fatty taste accompanying seafood on occasion. It has only two ingredients, making it an accessible and easy-to-make drink that can be ready in just seconds.

Shake 1 3/4 ounces of brandy and ¾ ounces of white creme de menthe liqueur. You’ll find that this recipe makes one of the easiest and tastiest cocktails to pair with oysters.

2. Hemingway Daiquiri

The sugary flavor of this drink helps to offset the saltiness of the oysters. To make this fantastic cocktail, you’ll need a bit of white rum, fresh lime juice, grapefruit juice, and maraschino liqueur. Add all the ingredients to a mixer with some ice, and shake to combine.

3. Yellow Bird

This cocktail comes in many variations, but simple is the way to go if you want a drink that tastes great and is meant to be served with a meal.

You need 1.5 ounces of white rum and 0.5 ounces of each of the following:

• Galliano liqueur
• Triple sec
• Freshly squeezed lime juice

To make this cocktail, just shake all the ingredients with a generous portion of ice, then serve.

4. Bloody Mary Oyster Shots

With just a teaspoon of Worcestershire and cocktail sauce, along with 2 ounces of Bloody Mary mix and vodka, you can make a killer shot fit for a king. After you mix everything, including a few drops of Tabasco sauce, you’ll place an oyster in each glass before pouring out your drinks.

5. Martinis

Martinis are a classic drink and not as innovative as others on this list, but they’re well-known for a reason. They pair well with many meals, and oysters are no exception.

You can make a martini with around 3 ounces of vodka or gin, plus dry vermouth. To create your drink, mix all the ingredients and shake them with ice. Pour into a glass and serve, and don’t forget to garnish with an olive.

6. Oystertini

If someone’s not feeling up for a regular martini, why not suggest an “oystertini” made with extra oysters? You can make this martini with 2 ounces of gin and one raw oyster.

Mix the oyster liquor with the gin and shake them together with ice. After you rub the rim of the glass with lemon or another citrus of choice, you can plop an oyster into the glass, and the oystertini is ready.

7. Spicy Oyster Cocktail

If someone wants to add even more oysters to their meal, this spicy cocktail will complement the main dish by adding a pinch of the flavor of oysters. This recipe is ideal for serving a group.

You will need the following ingredients:

• Lemon juice
• Rocoto paste
• Olive oil
• Tomato sauce
• Cocktail sauce
• Sweet chili sauce
• Cilantro

You also need to chop up a red onion and green and yellow peppers. You can round out your ingredients list by including the 24 ounces of oysters essential to this cocktail. Just mix every component in a bowl together, and you’re ready to serve this unique beverage.

Find a Drink That Works for Everyone

Not every cocktail on this list will be to people’s liking, but that’s how you find out what they enjoy. Suggest one of these drinks the next time clients order a platter of oysters.

Encourage diners to take their meal slowly and enjoy the experience and the taste of the sea in every bite. Oysters and alcohol are both meant to be savored.

Oscar Collins is the founder and editor-in-chief at Modded , where he writes about food and drink. Follow him on Twitter @TModded for frequent updates on his work.