Good wine to pair with sushi?

[peterbright]

It tastes better if you don't drink.

 

[spade2you]

Delicious styles, all of them. But the reason why Japanese beers work so well with sushi is the same reason sake does - they are dry and flavor neutral. You don't really want anything that lingers on the palette or competes with the delicate tastes. Though not a beer I'd drink under most circumstances, I like Asahi with sushi.

I disagree. Wit yeast is an excellent compliment to almost any sushi or seafood out there. Beer's carbonation is good about cleansing the palate and even cleaning up after itself! I agree that sake and Japanese beers are pretty neutral, but complimentary, but not too complimentary, flavors can really set the food and beer off. I'm not intending to bash the Japanese beers, but I typically don't think dry and somewhat metallic is a particularly great food pairing with sushi, perhaps some, but I think the resins of the Belgian yeasts works a little better. Given the mouthfeel of the sushi I've tried, I wouldn't say that a dry mouthfeel isn't necessary, but both wet and dry mouthfeels should work well with most sushi.

 

[Jared Lash]

I disagree. Wit yeast is an excellent compliment to almost any sushi or seafood out there. Beer's carbonation is good about cleansing the palate and even cleaning up after itself! I agree that sake and Japanese beers are pretty neutral, but complimentary, but not too complimentary, flavors can really set the food and beer off. I'm not intending to bash the Japanese beers, but I typically don't think dry and somewhat metallic is a particularly great food pairing with sushi, perhaps some, but I think the resins of the Belgian yeasts works a little better. Given the mouthfeel of the sushi I've tried, I wouldn't say that a dry mouthfeel isn't necessary, but both wet and dry mouthfeels should work well with most sushi.

Different strokes I guess. I'm almost as much of a sushi fiend as I am a beer snob and I LOVE belgian beers, but for me personally ales just don't pair with sushi. Something about the esters, especially with Belgian yeasts (which tend to have clove and banana tones) just doesn't sit well on my palate, especially with more complex sushi.

I'll take lagers every time. I tend to drink Japanese beers because that's generally what's available. I agree with Maki that if you go to a place that has Yebisu it's a must. The best Japanese beer IMO and perfect with sushi. But even traditional german lagers or especially Czech pilsners are great as well. Last night we took home some sushi and had it with North Coast's Scrimshaw. Perhaps a bit too hoppy on the nose, but otherwise a really good pairing.

 

[Eric Perry]

I've never had Yebisu. It's always been Sapporo or sometimes Kirin. Must try!

 

[edbutler3]

When/where it's available (summertime, upper midwest?), I've found Invalid Link Removed to be a great beer for sushi.

 

[spade2you]

Different strokes I guess. I'm almost as much of a sushi fiend as I am a beer snob and I LOVE belgian beers, but for me personally ales just don't pair with sushi. Something about the esters, especially with Belgian yeasts (which tend to have clove and banana tones) just doesn't sit well on my palate, especially with more complex sushi.

I'll take lagers every time. I tend to drink Japanese beers because that's generally what's available. I agree with Maki that if you go to a place that has Yebisu it's a must. The best Japanese beer IMO and perfect with sushi. But even traditional german lagers or especially Czech pilsners are great as well. Last night we took home some sushi and had it with North Coast's Scrimshaw. Perhaps a bit too hoppy on the nose, but otherwise a really good pairing.

I'd agree 100% that anything hoppy probably won't work. The ester flavor can go either way, depending on how the sushi is being served. As you chew the rice, the slightly sweet sorghum starches are a decent pairing for something with light esters, provided slightly sweet is part of that particular dish.

I can't say that I've ever noticed that these particular Belgian wheat styles to have too much of an ester vibe.

I'd agree that the Czech Pils is a good contrasting beer. Sometimes contrasting is fine. Sometimes a nice complimentary flavor is cool, too.

Granted, I haven't tried all types of sushi, but I've been able to pair a few types with an assortment of beers, some of which worked well, and some....not. I'm not gonna base all of my opinions on Garrett Oliver's book, but he's usually pretty close, with the obvious exception of suggesting pairing highly hopped beers with spicy foods.

 

[jkritchey]

Saying "Sake" is like saying "Wine" (in fact, it is). There are many, many different sakes available, and they come in grades of purity from crap to perfect.

Last night, I drank Japan's best sake with the number 2 Zero pilot from WWII. Just incredible!


Here we are, after a whole lot of it....

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He-he. Looks like you're holding him up in the air by the back of his jacket. Congrats, sounds like a fun evening.


I like crisp white wine with every Friday night Sushi munch. Dry, crisp Chardonnay for me. I've never found the sake for me, despite some serious searching.

Cold lager or pilsner if no white wine available.

 

[MakiSupaStar]

Saying "Sake" is like saying "Wine" (in fact, it is). There are many, many different sakes available, and they come in grades of purity from crap to perfect.

Last night, I drank Japan's best sake with the number 2 Zero pilot from WWII. Just incredible!


Here we are, after a whole lot of it....

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Hey Pacman. It's cool to see that you're over there exploring the people and culture of Japan. You're dead on about the Sake. I've had the good stuff and the good stuff is where it's at. I've gone head to head with some Japanese folks and have lost badly. My brother in law had to drag my sorry @$$ back to his pad on a couple of occasions. What started out as a friendly game of golf with his coworkers turned into a cheerful rally of konpai's (I think I spelt that right) that left me a crippled, giggling, puddle festering in the corner.

 

[Jared Lash]

with the obvious exception of suggesting pairing highly hopped beers with spicy foods.

I know a number of people that like high IBU beers with spicy foods. Eh, just not for me. Personally, if I'm eating something really spicy (the hot BBQ sauce at the soul food place up the street or the Korean place downtown) I'd just as soon have something with higher alcohol content than beer anyway - capsaicin being alcohol soluble and all.

 

[MakiSupaStar]

I've never had Yebisu. It's always been Sapporo or sometimes Kirin. Must try!

Invalid Link Removed

Here's the stuff. You'll see it over it here occasionally. It's pricey though. I can't afford it usually. They have other flavors too, including a dark stout.

 

[spade2you]

I know a number of people that like high IBU beers with spicy foods. Eh, just not for me. Personally, if I'm eating something really spicy (the hot BBQ sauce at the soul food place up the street or the Korean place downtown) I'd just as soon have something with higher alcohol content than beer anyway - capsaicin being alcohol soluble and all.

I could see spicy food masochists enjoying getting hit by high IBU C hop beers, but most mere mortals would rather have a palate cleanser and not pour salt in the wound. My subjective palate tells me that the high hops tends to intensify the burn. This is where I'll reach for a nice Pilsner as a fire extinguisher. If I'm already a tad numb, I sometimes want a nice English ale with toffee notes, but this probably isn't a common or desirable choice to most sane people.

With a medium spiced food, probably more along the lines of "zesty", I have been known to indulge in a nice jalapeno or chipotle spiced beer. Mmmmmmm, that sounds fun.