Often we are asked what drinks compliment our dishes and dining style. This is what we usually respond and why.
Japanese Beer or Chuhai was always the number 1 choice when eating at an Izakaya, followed a little later with sake. We serve Asahi super dry, Sapporo, Kirin Ichiban and Yebisu the top 4 beers in Japan. These beers are all brewed in Japan, we will not buy the Asahi or Kirin that is brewed under license in either Australia or Thailand, they just do not taste the same. Japanese beer is approx. 5.5% alcohol and a tad drier than a NZ beer.
Chuhai, these are simple Japanese cocktails with a shochu (a Japanese clear spirit like Vodka) base, mixed with a wide selection of flavours such as Lychee, grape, apple, orange, lime, peach etc etc. They are easy to drink, rather like a Japanese RTD. Chuhai’s are more popular with the ladies, as men often prefer to drink the Shochu straight or mixed with water. Shochu can be made from Barley, sweet potato, Buckwheat, sugar cane and even rice.
Sake has become more and more popular as our customers are realizing that it just works. An acquired taste, as all different alcohols, but it has different qualities depending on where the rice is grown and what water quality is used. Sake can be consumed chilled, room temperature or warmed, which seems to be the preferred choice of our customers, especially on a chilly night.
Wine, is a relatively new match with Japanese food. Neither Atsushi nor I knew which wines worked best, so we recruited a wine consultant who did. He chose our entire wine list. He assures us that every wine he chose has the right flavour quality to work with our menu. Our customers have been most impressed with the selection and also with the fact that we have kept the prices very reasonable.
Come on in, I would be delighted to introduce you to Japanese Izakaya style drinking.
Matta atode (see you later)