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BEERTENDERS Bartenders who really know their beer Alison Bailin Batz » The Entertainer!

eer and sushi? According to John Sanchez, sous chef and resident “beer geek” at Sushi Roku, the answer is a resounding yes. And, he adds, sushi pairs well with more than just traditional Japanese lagers. He says craft and regional beers are a picture-perfect pair with every kind of roll imaginable. Sushi Roku, in fact, is more than a pioneer of contemporary sushi, incorporating diverse, nontraditional ingredients from Latin America (e.g., jalapeños) and Europe (e.g., olive oil) into its edible works of art. Let Sanchez take you for a virtual tour of Sushi Roku’s offerings and his personal passion when it comes to the perfect pour.

each other, from mentors and from experimentation in the daily. And while what I would call “young guns” in the world of beer, Arizona brewers are ironically the ultimate nod to the old school—craftsmen from back in the day doing it right, doing it local.

Why is Sushi Roku the perfect place for craft beer? Variety is the spice of life – and there are more beer, sushi roll and menu item combinations than you can possibly imagine at Sushi Roku right now. One of my favorite pairings has to be the tuna jalapeño roll. Given it is a fattier fish, its really stands up to the IPAs we offer, especially Uncle Bear’s. Another great pairing, would be Hitachino White with our baked crab hand roll. The citrus and peppery notes of the wit really cut through the creamy, rich crab. And beyond just sushi, our entrée items pair really nicely with several of our beers too. A great example, would be our Ribeye Japonais with Echigo Rice Lager. In addition to simple pairings, which we are always happy to provide advice on, we believe in supporting local brewers. As such, we now have one tap that is exclusively for local craft beer, which we revolve with the seasons and months. We also try to bring in something special for our guests to make them feel at home when it comes to beer. Case in point, during Spring Training, given our proximity to the San Francisco Giants’ ballpark, we are considering adding a San Francisco brewer, Anchor Steam, to our mix for a few months.

What do you think makes craft beer special? Many people talk about local first—but local craft brewers really mean it. Most that I work with—and so many in the Arizona community, specifically—take great pride in sourcing ingredients, including hops, malts and even fruits from local farms in their own backyards. Heck, many grew their own farms to really get back to basics. In addition, being small is a good thing in craft beer because it gives the brewer freedom that big beer businesses just don’t have to experiment with wild flavors and test seemingly crazy new methods for brewing. A great example: So many people are able to use winemaking processes or even bourbon barrels in their beer making, and a lot of those ideas came from craft brewers just taking a chance and being creative.

How did you get your start in craft beer? I got my start thanks to my culinary background—and a Barnes & Noble gift card. Growing up in Southern California, cooking always came easy to me. So much so, it was a natural fit for me to attend cooking school out of high school, where I excelled. Around the same time, my uncle gave me a Barnes & Noble gift card one Christmas. Because I already had a heaping helping of cookbooks and chef biographies, I thought it would be fun to buy a book on home brewing. About three pages in, I was hooked. About 30 pages in, I started seeking out local breweries to start taste testing, with Ballast Point and Stone practically in my own backyard. By the time I was 22,

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What are your favorite beers?

I was adept at home brewing my own beer, something I kept up as I started my career as a chef, which included working for LGO Hospitality Group and the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland before joining Sushi Roku in 2015. I brought my passion for beer and brewing with me to Sushi Roku, where it has been wholly embraced.

What is your favorite part about the beer culture in Arizona? The malleability of everyone at every brewery I have come across. More specifically, many of us home brewers and even craft brewers on the move in the Valley and beyond haven’t worked for years with one specific style, brand or even brewing process. We are all still learning—from

In general, I tend to geek out most on IPA, Belgian-inspired beers and wild fermented beers. The funkier, the better! As far as breweries, I am a huge fan of Firestone Walker, Arizona Wilderness and The Beer Research Institute right now. In fact, The Beer Research Institute in Mesa is making fans beyond me. I hear they are expanding in coming months due to demand.

Sushi Roku

7277 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, sushiroku.com.