For the sushi lover, the ultimate culinary experience is the omakase. A progression of carefully curated sushi and dishes crafted by the chef, an omakase meal is often also accompanied by Japanese drinks. Sake is an obvious choice for this Japanese meal, but the drink selection can also vary, ranging from wine to beer to Japanese whisky.
We interviewed a round of experts for insight, including wine director Luke Boland and resident beverage director Max Green of Coral Omakase, along with sake sommelier Gavin Humes of Sushi by Scratch.
How to pair drinks with omakase
An omakase meal is all about the progression of flavors and courses. Many omakase sushi meals are led by lighter flavors. In terms of fish, heavier and fatty fish like mackerel or chutoro is served toward the end of the courses rather than the beginning. Because of this, the beverage pairing needs to match this progression. For instance, Bolland of Coral likes to pair mackerel with skin-fermented pinot grigio and chutoro with namazake sake (unpasteurized), all nigiri pieces served toward the end of the omakase.
However, this progression of light to heavier flavors is not always a given. For Humes of Sushi by Scratch, he prefers to view beverage pairings as an album, where instead of a series of singles, it’s a diverse evolution.
“I don’t just want to go lightest to heaviest in a direct straight line because I feel like that makes your palate kind of bored?” Humes explained. “I guess that’s probably the way I put it. Maybe more accurately, it’s predictable. So your palate isn’t surprised. And I really want your palate to be like, what’s next?”
Beverage recommendations for omakase
The variety of drink pairings with an omakase meal is potentially unlimited. Bolland likes to pair wine with the non-sushi courses and sake with the sushi portion of the omakase at Coral, such as a bone-dry brut Champagne to start the meal and a kimoto sake with a handroll toward the end. Sake, being Japanese, is a natural fit for omakase. Sake sommelier Humes recommends two brands specifically — HeavenSake and IWA.
Japanese whisky is also famous and potentially great as part of an omakase. Max Green of Coral prefers to have Japanese whisky at the start or as a digestif at the end of the omakase. Since whisky is a strong flavor, it can overpower the more delicate flavor of fish. A classic start in his option is the Japanese whisky highball made with Suntory Toki. As Green explained, Japanese whisky is more refreshing than other highballs due to its four-part soda to one-part alcohol.
For Humes of Sushi by Scratch, because their omakase features unconventional flavors, he does recommend whisky for certain courses. Sushi by Scratch often features courses like bone marrow (great with Shibui whisky) and toro topped with pineapple.
