Nobody plans a perfect pairing on a Tuesday night. You order what you want, and then you stand in front of the shelf. This is the delivery-night guide: five orders you actually make, and what to pour with each.

  • Order Pizza night

    Pour: a light, juicy Italian red such as Chianti, or a cold crisp lager.

    Zero-proof: sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon and a few drops of bitter orange.

    Tomato sauce is acidic, so you need a wine with its own acidity. Cheese and bread love bubbles and bitterness.

  • Order A proper burger

    Pour: a bourbon and ginger beer highball, or a Cabernet Sauvignon.

    Zero-proof: ginger beer with lime over lots of ice.

    Fat and char need either something rich that matches (bourbon, a big red) or something spicy and cold that cuts through.

  • Order Sushi

    Pour: a dry sparkling wine, or a highball of Japanese-style whisky and soda.

    Zero-proof: chilled sparkling white tea.

    Delicate raw fish needs clean, crisp, quiet drinks that reset your mouth between pieces and do not fight the rice.

  • Order Curry

    Pour: an off-dry Riesling, or a cold lager.

    Zero-proof: a ginger and lime fizz, or a mango lassi.

    Spice and heat are calmed by a little sweetness and cold. Avoid very high-alcohol drinks, which make heat feel hotter.

  • Order Fried chicken

    Pour: Brut Champagne or another dry sparkling wine, or a Whiskey Sour.

    Zero-proof: sparkling lemonade with fresh mint.

    Bubbles and acidity cut through grease and make the next bite taste as good as the first. It is the classic cheat code.

The one-line rule behind all five

Rich food wants something to cut through it. Delicate food wants something that stays out of the way. If you remember only that, you will get most evenings right.

Still unsure?

Tell the Tipsy Juniper guide what is on your plate, and it will suggest something, in any language.

Pairings are suggestions, not guarantees. Taste is personal. Please drink responsibly.