With intense and varied seafood flavours, vinegary rice, and spice all in play, sushi has a reputation for being a nightmare to pair with. There are actually lots of really complimentary options out there, however, so let’s take a look at the possible drinks you could serve to elevate your sushi experience!
SAKE
Choya Sake
Sake is enjoying a surge in popularity in the West, where it’s often served alongside sushi. This isn’t something picked up from Japan, however, where traditionally drinks alongside meals served the purpose of being light, easy-drinking and cleansing the palate. Because sake is brewed from rice, serving ‘rice on rice’ in this way isn’t seen as the way forward. Having said that, sake is actually very food friendly, so a delicate, clean, and restrained sake like this might not be the traditional pairing, but the umami of both makes for a lovely marriage all the same.
Size: 720ml
ABV: 13.5%
Find here: £11.25
BEER
Asahi Super Dry
This might not be the most innovative pairing we’ll give you that, but a light and dry Asian lager like this that isn’t too malty, and overpowering is a really solid pairing. Japanese beers used to be thought of as bitter, but Asahi was at the forefront of changing that and their Super Dry is crisp and clean, allowing the sushi to shine.
Size: 620ml
ABV: 5.2%
Find here: £2.40
WHITE WINE
Reichsrat von Buhl - Riesling Trocken 2021
Both wine and sushi provide endless possibilities and hugely varied flavours and styles. One varietal that we always return to for intensely flavoured foods because it is so adaptable is Riesling. Crisp and highly acidic German Riesling like this is great for fighting spice, complementing fattier fish, and offsetting the bold flavours with bone dry refreshment. It’s as close as you can get to adding lemon juice to fish in a bottle of wine which is why it works so deliciously.
Size: 750ml
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: £12
SPARKLING WINE
Sainsbury's Cremant d’Alsace, Taste the Difference
A delicious and velvety dry sparkler like this really enhances the zest in seafood, and rather than competing with the flavours of the food, it simply refreshes from the backseat and allows its fizzing texture to open up the raw fish. Champagne loves sushi too, but at a fraction of the price this is the wiser option with little compromise on quality whatsoever.
Size: 750ml
ABV: 12%
Find here: £12
TEA
Green tea - Konacha
Tea is often traditionally served alongside sushi, and the high heat is surprisingly adept at refreshing the palate between bites, preserving the delicate textures and subtler flavours found in sushi. There are a few different teas you could serve. Genmaicha is a roasted rice tea that’s nutty and served warm, but green tea is probably the best match. Sencha and konacha are both popular types in sushi restaurants, and both wash down the fatty fish to reset the palate perfectly. They’re also a great way to include a non-drinker in the sushi experience with something more exciting than just water.
Size: 100g
Find here: £11
Copenhagen Sparkling Tea GRØN
Sparkling tea is more popular than ever, and if you don’t like the idea of warm tea with your sushi it’s a fantastic way to go. There are 6 Delicious Sparkling Teas here if you’re interested, but the one that we recommend with sushi is Copenhagen’s Green. It’s as fresh as any drink gets with a stunning green tea base, but also ginger to tie in with the dishes and fizz for resetting the palate.
Size: 750ml
ABV: 5%
Find here: £16.95
The right drinks accompaniment can truly make or break a meal, so check out other guides including Indian, Thai and Mexican!