Professional chefs want a balance of flavors in their food and in their drinks. With that said, when they hit up a bar, they are not going to order what everyone else is having. They might have to jump behind the bar to make it themselves, but they will do what it takes to get what they want.
Bobby Flay: Spicy Jalapeño Pineapple Margarita
Photo by Sara Tane
Bobby Flay likes his cocktails to be like his recipes: well-balanced. According to Bon Appétit, he doesn’t like cocktails that are too sweet, so you won’t see him with a Cosmo in hand. Instead, Bobby, who is a huge fan of spicy, Southwestern flavors when cooking, would order a Spicy Jalapeño Pineapple Margarita.
Photo courtesy of @bobbyflay on Instagram
Giada De Laurentiis: Limoncello
Photo by Savannah Carter
Giada sticks to her Italian roots and there is nothing more Italian than limoncello. If you’ve watched Giada’s cooking shows, she is pretty much obsessed with lemons. She puts them in everything and she is not afraid to admit it.
Photo courtesy of @giadadelaurentiis on Instagram
Anne Burrell: Bloody Mary
Photo by Bonnie Tynes
Anne Burrell sticks to savory cooking, so she would enjoy a savory cocktail. She is always cooking big slabs of meat for hours on end, so she needs something to sip on while that’s happening. I can just picture her putting a pot roast in the oven on a Sunday morning while sipping on her Bloody Mary.
Photo courtesy of @chefanneburrell on Instagram
Alex Guarnaschelli: Grapefruit Cocktail
Photo by Natalie Van Brunt
Alex Guarnaschelli likes her food to be simple, but impactful. The grapefruit cocktail is a little sweet, but also has a little tang to it, which is similar to Alex’s personality. When Alex was a mentor on All Star Academy on Food Network, she knew when to complement her mentees, but she also knew when to yell at them.
Photo courtesy of @guarnaschelli on Instagram
Geoffrey Zakarian: Old Fashioned
Photo by Ceci Long
Geoffrey Zakarian likes his drinks to be classic, without any fuss. When he hosts The Kitchen on Food Network, he is the bartender of the group and brings forth his extensive knowledge of the history behind cocktails. The Old Fashioned is the perfect cocktail for him because it has a complex flavor, but it is just a few ingredients.
Photo courtesy of @gzchef on Instagram
Scott Conant: A Glass of Italian Red Wine
Photo by Bri Jones
Scott Conant is known for being the Italian Stallion on Food Network’s Chopped. He is the ultimate pasta expert and what goes better with pasta than red wine? While he is making a pasta sauce with red wine, he probably takes a few sips for himself.
Photo courtesy of @conantnyc on Instagram
Amanda Freitag: Sangria
Photo courtesy of calleochonyc.com
Amanda Freitag is a classic judge on Food Network’s Chopped and is definitely one of the sweeter judges. Since she is one of the sweeter judges, I gave her a sweet drink pairing. I can definitely see Amanda kicking back for wine night with the girls with sangria in hand.
Photo courtesy of @chefamandaf on Instagram
Micheal Symon: Craft Beer
Photo by Sarah Schuette
Michael Symon hosts a show on Cooking Channel called Burgers, Brew, and ‘Que, so he is all about the beer. He is not going to go to the bar on $1 PBR night. Instead, he’s going to drink the good stuff.
Photo courtesy of @chefsymon on Instagram