What cocktails to serve with sushi?

April 25, 2008 5:15 PM

What cocktails to serve with sushi?

Okay, we're going to a dinner party. The hosts are providing sushi. We're responsible for "a cocktail." What should we bring/make? Seems that sushi calls for good beer or sake, but I think we are expected to provide something a bit more creative than just a bottle o' wine or beer or something. Something extravagant. Anyone got any good recipes?

posted by jmstephan to food & drink (16 comments total)

I had to do this once! After much research I found this mix which was delicious and may fit the bill:

If this isn't exactly what you had in mind, my recommendation would be to look into mixes based on ginger ale, I find it goes well with sushi.

Vodka, guava and ginger cocktail

Ingredients (serves 6)
250ml vodka
1L guava juice
1L dry ginger ale
2 tablespoons lime juice
Angostura bitters
1/4 cup whole mint leaves
ice cubes to serve
posted by jeremias at 5:40 PM on April 25, 2008 [6 favorites]

Saketinis are not my favorite, but might be appropriate.

Another fauxtini cocktail that's sushi-appropriate would be to make a smoky vodka martini using Suntory whiskey instead of vermouth.

Or, peruse the cocktail menu at a froufy sushi restaurant like this one (click on the "drinks" tab at the bottom) for ideas.
posted by dersins at 5:43 PM on April 25, 2008

Cucumbers and sushi go well together - so maybe the cuke?
posted by kickingtheground at 5:54 PM on April 25, 2008

Shiso leaves have become sort of a trendy ingredient in cocktails (I like the shiso mojito).

Or maybe something with lychee?
posted by mewithoutyou at 5:59 PM on April 25, 2008

Considering that Russians marry cold salty zakuski with chilled vodka, maybe some quality cold vodka is in order.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 6:55 PM on April 25, 2008

Honestly, I think a classic dirty martini goes very well with sushi, with either vodka or gin (I am personally a fan of the gin version) but you could still get creative and find a variety of interesting olives to use, both to put the brine in the drink and garnish it with.
posted by Tesseractive at 6:57 PM on April 25, 2008

This is called a "jasmine." It was in a book that matildaben showed me.

• 1 1/2 oz. gin
• 3/4 oz. Campari
• 3/4 oz. Cointreau
• 1/4 oz lemon juice

Shake over ice and serve up with a twist.

It'd be just the thing with sushi: very dry, very citric, very clean flavors.
posted by ikkyu2 at 7:00 PM on April 25, 2008 [3 favorites]

I had a delicious lychee-tini once - yum!
posted by radioamy at 7:30 PM on April 25, 2008

I agree that a classic martini would be the best choice. Best for me.

However... sparkling wine cocktails are also pretty good and probably more generally enjoyed. Brut with Grand Marnier and fresh raspberries is simple, easily adjusted, slightly fancy and universally enjoyable. Grenadine is a nice addition if used sparingly.
posted by nedpwolf at 8:20 PM on April 25, 2008

Go to a wine store that carries sake and get Nigori sake. It's an unfiltered sake meaning some of the rice solids used in the fermentation are left behind. It has a great citrusy, sweet taste that's just like drinking a sake cocktail. It's perfect for serving before a meal and if you bring a bottle of regular sake as well, that will be perfect accompaniment with the sushi.
posted by junesix at 9:04 PM on April 25, 2008

Get thee some shochu.
posted by fingers_of_fire at 9:41 PM on April 25, 2008

I think that if you don't want to do only sake, which would be great (if it's great), then you want a very clean tasting cocktail that doesn't get in the way of tasting the food. IANABT (or a sake sommelier), but i'd be leery of some of the sweeter variations.
So if you make saketinis, be sure they're not too sweet, and if you make martinis, make sure they're good and dry. I think a very dry saketini (using either a clean-tasting gin or a good vodka) and not too much sake in place of vermouth (lean toward a drier, more mineral sake) would be great. You can garnish with sushi ginger if you want, but not too much, and shake off the liquid. Or get those amazing pickled ginger stems and use them like a swizzle...
All that said, I think Dersin's idea for a smoky suntory variation sounds amazing. I also think you could double-down on gin with a garnish of juniper berries and actual ginger root...
And Junesix's comment (I love Nigori sake) makes me realize that it makes a big difference whether this is a presushi cocktail or a with sushi cocktail. If it's before the food, something full-bodied like nigori sounds great, or any cocktail you like that's not over-bearing.
posted by Mngo at 10:15 PM on April 25, 2008

Some purists will say you shouldn't drink sake with sushi. While this doesn't seem to be followed much "in the wild", it does provide an excuse to do something else. I'd second the shochu suggestion; one practice I saw in Japan a lot is providing halved fruit & a citrus-reamer to allow customers to make their own shochu + $FRUIT_JUICE drinks. If you're serving a group, just pre-squeeze some fresh fruit juice (lemon & kiwi are good), and bring it along with some bottles of shochu.. yum.
posted by kanuck at 12:23 AM on April 26, 2008

Green tea martini?
posted by tkbarbarian at 1:47 AM on April 26, 2008

I'd stick to a very dry Martini, with quality vodka like Grey Goose, you want to keep a clean taste
posted by matteo at 4:33 AM on April 26, 2008

Personally, I think Shōchū is the worst drink ever (japanese, chinese, with plum, without, etc). I think you'd probably have a hard time finding it if you're in the states and not near a busy chinatown/international district. If you're not inclined to bring sake or a nice Japanese beer - bring a good whiskey! I'm not sure that it particularly sets off sushi in any meaningful way, but it is a popular after dinner beverage in many Japanese homes.
posted by Craig at 9:10 AM on April 26, 2008