The Absolute Best Beer To Pair With Tuna

Tuna is remarkably versatile in the ways it can be prepared; sear it with soy sauce and honey, slap it on a sandwich with some mayo, or have it in a salad. One of the best things about building a dish around tuna is that it's high in omega-3 fatty acids and a great source of vitamin B12, but our favorite thing about cooking with tuna is how fast and easy it is to prepare. In just under 20 minutes you can have a nutritious, layered dish in front of you. This ease and lightness of this ingredient lends itself beautifully to a drink pairing. 

While most reach for the white wines when pairing alcohol with fish, we were curious about which beers would make for the most refreshing combination. We reached out to Chris Cusack, a level 1 sommelier and cicerone, and the owner of Betelgeuse Betelgeuse in Houston, to get his expert pairing opinion. "If I'm enjoying fresh tuna with a beer, I'm looking for something with a mild flavor like a lager," he explains. "If you're doing a preparation like sashimi or poke, or even a lightly seasoned tuna steak, you really want the subtle flavors to come through, and I don't want the beer to overpower it. An un-hopped light lager would pair perfectly with fresh tuna." 

Lagers make the most sense to pair with a delicate fish like tuna, especially when compared to flavor-forward, piney IPAs that are better suited for fattier foods like fries, pizza, or your more traditional bar fare.

In general, beer is broken up into two main categories: ales and lagers. As Cusack states, you're going to want to stick with lagers when looking for the best beer to pair with fresh tuna. Keep in mind that, similar to bourbon and whiskey, pilsner is a type of lager, but not all lagers are pilsners. Are you thoroughly confused, yet? Don't worry, you're not alone. The world of beer categories can be quite overwhelming, but labels should tell you all you need to make the right pairing pick.

The only thing you need to know for this particular pairing is you want a light beer with crisp and clean characteristics. Bitterness is a big thing to look out for, lagers are made with fewer hops than ales and are generally less bitter. You want to look out for beers with International Bitterness Units (IBUs) that stay within the 5 – 45 IBU range, this way you'll ensure a lighter, more delicate taste. Unlike ales which are fermented at higher temperatures, lagers are cold fermented which helps bring out the nuance of the hops without causing them to overpower your palate. Pairing your tuna with beer is as simple as identifying complementary flavors and tasting notes, we recommend reaching for lagers with citrusy, tropical notes.