What drinks go best with Japanese dishes?

Otsumami are those delicious snacks served alongside drinks at a traditional izakaya – often a rolling order of edamame, gyoza, pickles, yakitori (grilled meat and vegetables), rice crackers and more. The salty things. The good things. There’s a lot to nibble, so you need drinks that work with all of them. 

Fortunately, it’s straightforward. The best and most popular partners are beer and sake (in fact, these drinks could be put with just about any Japanese dish and you’d be in good hands). When choosing a beer, go for IPAs and pale ales for meats and fried dishes, and Japanese rice lagers for more delicate snacks. This is also a perfect chance to sip on sake – you might like to enjoy it in a Saketini, or even a shochu on the rocks or with soda and a twist of lemon. 

Don’t miss this chance to flex your whisky game either. Keep it simple with a whisky highball (Japanese whisky would suit best to keep it on-theme), an Old Fashioned or wake up the stomach with a Rob Roy.

Let’s first define what sushi is – there are a lot of versions out there. Technically, it’s seasoned rice topped with seafood, egg or vegetables. Sashimi is raw seafood alone (and much more intricate than one ingredient sounds). So, there are delicate flavours going on here.

Keep it classic and aim for a Japanese lager or pilsner as these are crisp and light styles, and complement rather than compete with the sushi. If you reach for sake, go for a dry variety like junmai for its clean and fresh flavour. 

If you’re after wine, you’re best to steer clear of a bold red like cab sauv or shiraz. Instead, chill your go-to riesling, rosé or dry sparkling, which are all particularly good for wasabi lovers. If you do want a red, you can. Just choose lighter drops such as pinot noir and reserve them for when you’re tucking into richer cuts of fish, such as tuna and salmon.

Compared to the likes of sushi, ramen is a more robust dish and has the gusto to stand up to stronger-flavoured drinks. But there are a lot of flavours to consider, and we have to know what ramen you’re ordering first. 

Starting with the lightest of the broths, shio (meaning ‘salt’), is a clear chicken-based ramen that leans into umami with nuanced savoury ingredients. Treat this more delicate version like sushi and go for lighter Japanese lagers, pale ales and wines like pinot grigio or Chablis. 

For soy-based shoyu ramen, try darker ales, light to medium reds, including gamay and pinot, or go for a karakuchi (very dry) sake. Miso ramen’s fermented soy-bean paste base is a good match for fermented gose sours and ciders, offsetting that rich and salty presence. A fuller-bodied chardonnay wouldn’t go amiss here either. 

Then there’s the richest of the bunch – tonkatsu ramen. This is good news for cocktails, especially whisky ones, such as the Cablegram. Here, the drink’s carbonation also provides a nice relief from the intensity of the broth. An aromatic viognier or German riesling would cut through the richness nicely, as would a crisp rice lager. For a red wine, try a Rioja or local tempranillo for their savoury notes.