FOOD PAIRING
01
Most people assume sushi comes with a short list of approved drinks: sake, or a cup of green tea. Both are lovely, and we’d never talk anyone out of either. But they aren’t the only good choices, and treating them as the only “correct” ones means missing a pairing that surprises plenty of first-timers.
Beer, chosen well, can be a brilliant partner for raw fish. The trick is choosing well. Sushi and sashimi are quiet foods. A slice of good fish tastes of cool, clean sea and soft, buttery texture, with a little sweetness if you pay attention. Rice brings a gentle tang from the vinegar. Soy, wasabi and pickled ginger add sharp accents around the edges. Whatever you pour needs to sit in the background, refresh your palate and let the fish stay the star.
As a team behind a proper craft beer bar in the city, we’ve watched a lot of people reach for a glass of beer alongside a plate of nigiri and then quietly nod to themselves. Here’s how to get it right.
If you only take one tip from this article, make it this one. A clean, light lager or pilsner is the most dependable beer you can put next to sushi and sashimi.
“Clean” can sound like a vague compliment, so here’s what we mean in the glass. Pale straw to light gold. A soft, bready note from the malt, like the inside of a fresh white roll. A gentle snap of grassy or herbal bitterness from the hops, just enough to keep things lively. Then a dry finish that disappears almost as soon as you swallow.
That disappearing act is the whole point. Raw fish is subtle, and a lager doesn’t try to shout over it. The light body won’t smother a delicate slice of white fish, and the carbonation gives your mouth a quick reset between pieces. Think of it like a sip of cold sparkling water, only with a bit more to say. You finish a piece of sashimi, take a sip, and the next piece tastes just as fresh as the first.
It also plays nicely with the condiments. A swipe of soy adds salt, and lager loves salt. A dab of wasabi brings heat, and those fine bubbles help calm it down. Even pickled ginger, sharp and sweet, slots in comfortably beside a dry, pale beer.
We’d take a characterful pilsner over a generic, mostly-fizz lager here. You want one where you can actually taste the grain and the hops, because that gentle flavour gives the fish something to lean against without getting in its way.
Not every piece of sushi is delicate. Fatty tuna melts on the tongue and coats your mouth with richness. Salmon has its own buttery, almost creamy weight. With cuts like these, you can afford a beer with a touch more personality.
A session-strength pale ale is a good shout. “Session” just means it’s on the lighter side for alcohol, so you can enjoy a glass or two over a long meal without it taking over. Picture a golden pour with a light whiff of orange zest or a little floral perfume, a hint of bread crust underneath, and a modest bitterness that tidies up the finish.
That extra character works well against richer fish. The gentle hop bitterness slices through the fattiness, while the citrus notes act a bit like a squeeze of lemon over the plate. The key word is “gentle”. You’re looking for a pale ale that adds a little colour to the conversation, not one that hogs the microphone.
If you’re working through a mixed platter, you could start with a lager for the lighter white fish, then move to a pale ale once the salmon and fatty tuna arrive. It’s the same easy, unhurried rhythm you’d find at Soup Curry by Ki-setsu’s izakaya by night, where the drinks shift along with the dishes.
Some beers are fantastic on their own and simply wrong for raw fish. Two kinds in particular are worth steering around.
Very bitter beers. Big, aggressively hopped IPAs can be wonderful, all grapefruit peel, sticky pine resin and a bitterness that grips the back of your tongue. Next to a slice of sashimi, though, that intensity tends to flatten everything. The fish’s soft sweetness gets lost, and you’re left tasting mostly hops.
Intensely roasted beers. Stouts and porters that taste of espresso, dark chocolate and burnt toast are brilliant with heartier food. Against raw fish, those roasted flavours can clash with the clean, oceanic notes or simply mute them. It’s a bit like pairing a delicate broth with a double shot of coffee.
None of this means those beers are bad. They’re just better saved for grilled meats, rich stews or a slow pint after dinner. With sushi, quiet wins.
Here’s our honest suggestion: don’t take our word for it. Try it yourself.
Next time you’re out for sushi or sashimi, order a clean lager or pilsner alongside. Start with a lean piece of white fish and take a sip after each bite. Notice how the beer clears your palate and whether the fish tastes brighter. Then, if there’s salmon or fatty tuna on the plate, swap to a session pale ale and see whether that little citrus lift and gentle bitterness makes the richness feel lighter.
Pay attention to one thing above all: which pairing makes you want the next bite sooner. That’s your answer. If you’d like a hand choosing, the folks at Craft Beer by Ki-setsu are always happy to point you towards something light and clean from what’s pouring that night. You might find a new favourite, or at least a very good excuse to order another round.
