When you pair the right drink with the right food, your food becomes much more alive, each help bring out the unique flavors of each other, just as any wine enthusiast will tell you.

Pairing the right drinks with sushi is the same thing. And if you’re into sushi the way I am, it really does make a difference.

My Picks for What to Drink With Sushi Rolls!

Great sushi should always be fresh and a clean taste. There are only a few ingredients in traditional sushi, so each ingredient is meant to be tasted and not out weighed by any other ingredient.

This means your drink pairing needs to work with that as well, it shouldn’t hide the taste in any way, but rather enhance it.

So many heavier drinks don’t make a good pairing at all. You want something with a “lighter” taste whether it’s an alcoholic beverage or not.

Certain beers or even an unsweetened light lemonade goes well with sushi, helping to enhance rather than mask the flavors of your sushi roll. Below I have listed out what I have found to be the best sushi pairings. And there something for everyone.

Best Beer With Sushi Rolls

When it comes to beer, Japanese beers work really well with sushi because most of the popular brands like Asahi, Sapporo or Kirin are very light beers. Think something like Coors light, only with a “crispier” taste. They pair perfectly with their Japanese food counterparts, especially any type of sushi roll.

And if you don’t have access to Japanese beer, then try your sushi with something like a Coors Light, or even a Budweiser. They are pretty close in taste, or lack of taste would be more adequate to write.

Just don’t go with heavy beers like Guinness or other stouts, or heavily flavored “hoppy” beers as they will mask the subtle flavors of the sushi similar to using too much soy or eel sauce. Something I never do!

And a quick tip, a cold Japaneses beer will also help stop wasabi burn if you added too much to your roll or soy sauce.

Pairing Wine With Sushi Rolls

Believe it or not, some wines do go well with sushi. Especially any dry, crisp white wine. Chardonay is a great wine to try with sushi, just make sure you go with one that isn’t overly sweet or starting to turn into vinegar of course.

Sauvignon Blanc is another solid choice as well as a Muscadet (pronounced as musk-uh-day). Like I said, anything dry should work well and not hide the flavor of your sushi rolls.

Mixed Drinks and Sushi Rolls

There are a few alcoholic drinks that also pair well with sushi. But one I particularly like is a Domo Arigato. This particular drink has mezcal , fresh ginger juice, lime, and a few drops of sesame oil. And although thought of as a Mexican drink only, it pair perfectly to sushi rolls, especially the ones that have sesame seeds.

And the mezcal is a light enough alcohol so it doesn’t fight the roll’s taste at all. Give it a try, you’ll be really happy you did.

Non-Alcoholic Drinks

In Japan, most sushi is eaten with three drinks, either Japanese beer, Saki or green tea.

So naturally green tea is a great non-alcoholic drink that pairs really well with sushi. But be sure you’re using an Asian green tea, not the tea bags you buy in bulk at grocery stores, it really isn’t the same, and the bulk green tea with really outweigh the sushi taste.

The next pairing is kind of a non-alcoholic version of the cocktail above for the same reason, Ginger Ale. Anything with ginger, as long as it isn’t too sweet pairs well with sushi. This is why you get picked ginger with sushi. It acts as a kind of pallet cleanser, and also helps bring out the flavor of your rolls. Ginger ale is similar in this regard.

Conclusion

And that’s my basic, quick list of what to drink with sushi rolls. And if you find something I haven’t covered, let me know and I’ll give it a try. And if I agree, I’ll add it to my list so everyone else can enjoy the perfect drink with their sushi rolls.