Bitter. Salty. Sour. Sweet. More recently, umami. The tastes science has blessed. This week researchers branched out, publishing findings in Flavour: Fat is the sixth taste. (Not to be confused with the Sixth Sense, which flattens substantially once the surprise is over.)

Chefs and bartenders beat science to the bench — we’ve seen a resurgence of fat in high mixology and haute cuisine, luxuriating in bacon fat and coconut oil melted into cocktails; of pig’s tails and chicken skin pressure-cooked to crispy perfection. Remember: the right alcohol offers counterpoint to every fatty extravagance.

Charleston chef Sean Brock, featured on the PBS series The Mind of a Chef, captures this essence in an episode exulting the best of southern indulgence when he wraps up with the steps to make a Rattlesnake cocktail, a “boozy slushie” of bourbon, lemon, absinthe, egg white, and ice. It’s the edge to rejuvenate the palate.

The next time you pull a bottle off the shelf or pour a brew into a glass, consider the fat to accompany it. A few suggestions:

• Cajun popcorn (popped on a stovetop, served heavy on the butter and Old Bay) – ideal to accompany an Imperial IPA. (Ballast Point’s Grapefruit Sculpin is my early forerunner for favorite IPA of the year.)
• Dark chocolate with caramel and black sea salt – more than just the fat in the chocolate and caramel, the salt adds is an extra note against the bracing glory of an Islay or other heavily peated Scotch. (Not to knock Scotland, but India’s Amrut Cask Strength Peated Single Malt is the top choice on my shelf right now.)
• Purple Haze or other herbal goat cheese topped with lemon curd – sweet, tart and leaves a luxurious film on the tongue, which exaggerates the jammy notes and tannins in a good port. (I’m fond of Bogle Petite Sirah Port as an accessible, affordable dram.)

What are your favorite sixth taste pairings?