Food Pairings with Umeshu on the Rocks

Let’s talk about food.

Today’s article is dedicated to all the culinary enthusiasts out there! If you are just starting to learn about umeshu, you might be wondering: “What makes plum wine different from regular wine?”

(Well, besides how one is made from ume plums and the other is made from grapes.)

Umeshu is different from wine in that it’s much more versatile in terms of the number of ways you can serve it.
And for every way, there are a couple of super food pairings that will boost the tastiness of your meal.

The most common ways to drink umeshu are straight, on the rocks, mixed with water or seltzer,
or mixed with hot water– an acquired taste! No matter what your favorite umeshu drinking style is,
there’s food to match it.

Straight

The golden rule for drink and food pairings says that if you want to make a good pairing,
the less water is in the drink, the less water should be in the food.

Umeshu straight out of the bottle has between 10% ~ 20% ABV, which is pretty high.

The higher the ABV, the less water is in the drink.
Because straight umeshu has such little water, it pairs best with snacks that are also low in water content.
Think dry, densely flavoured foods like cheese, nuts, and beef jerky.

Also, keep in mind that straight umeshu is a compact, powerful flavour bomb of fruitiness and tartness.
So if you want to pair it with a full meal, choose food that is equally as flavourful.
We recommend roast beef with hearty gravy or Chinese cuisine.

On the Rocks

If you drink umeshu on the rocks, the water content in the drink will increase as the ice cubes melt.
Take advantage of this to add variety to your food pairings.

Start your meal with a flavourful appetizer and enjoy it with umeshu at its full strength.
When the water in your glass starts to increase from the melting ice, switch to a lightly seasoned main course or salad.

Be careful though: drinking umeshu with any chaser, including ice or water, makes it much easier to drink.
Take care to mind your personal drinking limit, especially when pairing free-flowing drinks with a large meal!

Cold Water

For those who prefer milder umeshu, we recommend mixing it with a bit of water.
The gentler flavours of a umeshu and water mixture will be overpowered by strong flavoured foods,
so we recommend enjoying it with light dishes like cold pasta and tofu.

Seltzer

The bubbliness of seltzer adds another sensory dimension to umeshu,
dialing down its intense flavours while making it taste extra crisp.
The kind of drink that everyone wants at a midday summer patio party.

The crispness of umeshu and seltzer means it’s great for balancing out the oiliness of our favorite comfort foods like pizza, gratin, and fried chicken.

Hot Water

Some umeshu lovers enjoy umeshu more for its unique, multi-layered fruity smell than its taste.
If you’re one of those people, here’s a secret for you: there’s an easy way to make umeshu smell ten times as good.

If you mix umeshu with hot water, you’ll amplify the aroma of the ume fruits and alcohol.
The increased water in the glass will also make the taste more mild, so you can focus your attention on the smell.
We recommend enjoying umeshu and hot water with carpaccio or other light snacks.