Overview
If you're hanging out for a mulled wine in August because you signed up for Dry July after a wild start to the year, you may want to check out Pasture's new degustation menu: The Pasture Match.
The six-course menu is perfectly paired with the most scrumptious and creative non-alcoholic beverages, and you won't even miss the liquor.
Designed by Pasture's head chef and co-owner Ed Verner, the delicious concoctions are made with fruit, herb and vegetable based juices and naturally fermented sodas. The drinks are as carefully curated as the restaurant's notable wine list.
The drinks are also made using some cool techniques such as infusion, juicing and fermentation, including health elixirs such as kefir and kombucha.
Ed is passionate about creating new and exciting dish pairings for his patrons and commented, "The Pasture Match is a creative and nuanced way to pair food and drink, and it's something that excites me as much as the wine list, to be honest. As a chef, it means I can really have fun with different ingredients and experiment."
His favourite offering is the yuzu and cherry blossom infusion, which combines rare yuzu citrus, hailing from north of Wellington, and preserved cherry flowers Ed and his wife Laura collected together. The drink is described as having a saline, floral and acidic taste with a delicate colour.
What strikes us the most about Ed and Laura's Pasture Match is their ability to create such an artisanal and attractive drink menu which encourages the fact that you don't need to touch a drop of alcohol when you dine out and in order to have a great culinary experience.
While this menu is perfect for those staving off the red wine this month, it's a permanent fixture on the Pasture menu with the odd adjustment and seasonal changes, which is another reason we'll keep coming back for more.
Book in before July 9, or after the 26th as the restaurant will be temporarily closed between those dates. Plus, Pasture will be donating $10 for every Pasture Match booked before the end of the month to the Cancer Society, which is another great reason to book in soon.
The best part about this menu is definitely the fact that you don't need to choose just one, you can try every single drink on offer (and you can drive again home too).