The Omakase Room at Sushi-San in Chicago offers an optional non-alcoholic beverage pairing with its $250 omakase (chef's choice) menu. Guests who choose the spirit-free pairing pay $65 for five well-balanced drinks that complement the 18-course sushi selection. Most are a blend of unique teas, spices, bitters and/or fruits, much like well-crafted cocktails containing alcohol.
"When creating the spirit-free cocktails, we set out to craft drinks that had the same interest and complexity as the dishes that chef Kaze Chan is doing with the menu," said Kevin Beary, beverage director. "We pull in drinking styles that the guest may be familiar with, for example, there is one that drinks like an old fashioned, a hot toddy and a martini." The whimsically named drinks include Freak Flag Flying, made with Freak of Nature oolong, melon and pandan, Banana Brain with Emperor’s Genmaicha, banana and sesame and Broken Promises, made with gingerbread rooibos and five-spice orgeat.