Buffalo Wing Pairings: What to Drink With Your Wings

Wings are a flavor problem. Hot sauce + butter + chicken fat + (optionally) blue cheese is a lot to pair around. Forget the rules — here's what actually works, by sauce.

Same-day delivery in Buffalo, Amherst, Williamsville, Tonawanda, Kenmore & nearby. Free on orders over $49. Order online or call (716) 770-1230.

Classic Buffalo (Medium-Hot)

The cayenne-and-butter Frank's RedHot original. You need cold, crisp, slightly sweet to balance the burn.

• Lager — Genesee, Labatt, Coors Light. The originals are originals for a reason.
• Riesling (off-dry) — sweet enough to tame heat, acidic enough to clean
• Tequila & soda with lime — agave loves capsaicin

Suicide / XXX Hot

Now you're at war with your mouth. Wine and beer can only do so much.

• Whole milk or Lactaid — casein actually breaks capsaicin bonds (science!)
• Off-dry Riesling or Gewürztraminer — sugar is your friend
• Mezcal margarita — fight smoke with smoke

Garlic Parmesan

Now we're in cocktail territory. The cheese-and-garlic richness wants something cleansing and crisp.

• Italian Pinot Grigio — citrus and minerality cut through the cheese
• Sauvignon Blanc — herbal and bright
• Vermentino or Verdicchio — for the wine nerds

BBQ or Honey Garlic

Sweet sauces want fruit-forward red.

• Zinfandel — Bogle Old Vine, Seghesio, anything jammy
• Malbec — Argentinian, soft tannin, plum
• Bourbon old fashioned — caramel meets caramel

What Doesn't Work

Skip: oaky Chardonnay (the butter on butter is too much), tannic Cabernet (wine clashes with hot sauce horribly), and dry martinis (alcohol amplifies burn).

Pickup Before the Game

Anchor Bar, Bar Bill, Duff's, Gabriel's Gate — Buffalo has ten thousand great wing spots. We deliver wine, beer, and spirits same-day across the metro. Order before you head to the wings.