The Picky Bits Sommelier: The Ultimate Guide to Snack and Drink Pairings

The ultimate guide to picky bits and drinks pairings for every season, brought to you by drinks expert, presenter and author of The Crisp Sommelier, Neil Ridley.

Long live picky bits! Whether you're throwing together a last-minute party or knackered after a long day at work, picky bits are your saving grace. With 161 picky bits and 99 drinks to boot, you'll find something for every occasion – from meat, fish and veggie and vegan snacks to alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Sit back in awe as Neil Ridley taps into his endless expertise to guide you through the following:

- Find out the perfect picky bit to pair with your drink of choice or vice versa, be it alcoholic or non-alcoholic
- Rustling up a picky bit and drinks spread to impress the masses
- Answering the ultimate conundrum: What counts as a picky bit?
- Discovering which picky bit best sums up your personality; are you more tempura prawn or pork pie?

As you venture through the different drinks' sections, including Wine, Beer and Cider, Cocktails, and Non-alcoholic, you'll find the perfect picky bit to make your drink of choice sing. With fun combinations like Pinot Noir and pork pies, Mojito and buffalo wings, Lager and prawn crackers, Pisco and a cheese and pineapple hedgehog, Irn-Bru and Haggis bon bons, and Apple soda and cheese and bacon loaded potato skins.

Let Ridley help you craft the perfect picky spread. For any occasion where a bog-standard dinner won't do, crack out the picky bits and let the fun commence!

Neil Ridley is an award-winning professional drinks writer, broadcaster, consultant, host and presenter with over 15 years of food and drink industry experience.

He has been shortlisted four times as a 'Communicator Of The Year' by the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) and his first book, co-written with Joel Harrison, Distilled: A Guide To The World's Best Spirits (Octopus Publishing), was awarded 'Best Drinks Book' in The Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards in 2015. To date, it is the biggest selling book globally on pan-spirits, now published in 14 different languages. His recent cocktail book, 60-Second Cocktails is a no.1 bestseller in both the UK and the USA.


His latest book, Hot Sauce, A Fiery Guide to 101 of the World's Greatest Sauces also reached the top ten in the food book charts. He is also the author and co-author of a further 7 books on drinks, cocktails and bar culture.


Neil is also an experienced and highly versatile TV host and presenter, serving as a resident drinks expert on Channel 4 Sunday Brunch for the past 9 years.