What Drinks to Pair with Your Lotus Take-out

Egg rolls from Lotus Restaurant in Maple Grove.
If you want to eat out at home, Lotus Restaurant offers an enviable takeout menu.

This article originally appeared as part of the story Family Af-fare in the May 2019 issue. For a primer on the key ingredients in Vietnam cuisine, click here.

Looking for a good drink that can stand up to your pho, spring rolls or bún bò soup? Bill Princeton of Princeton’s Liquors in Maple Grove pairs beverages (with Twin Cities connections) that give a cooling effect to any dish with a little heat.

If you want to eat out at home, Lotus Restaurant offers an enviable takeout menu. Depending on your order’s flavor profile, Princeton recommends the following pairings:

  • Steel Toe Size 7 is an aromatic IPA with a strong hint of citrus to it. This Pacific Northwest-style IPA is loaded with hops and has a clean, dry bitterness in its finish.
  • Paetra Riesling has bright acidity and a rich stone fruit finish. “It’s mostly dry, but has just enough stony fruitiness to counterbalance spicy food,” he says.
  • Flying Dutchman Mediterranean Gin “… has classical Mediterranean flavors like rosemary, basil and thyme,” Princeton says. This is a fitting spirit to complement the herb-friendly dishes of Vietnam.

Princeton’s Liquors
12790 Bass Lake Road, Maple Grove; 763.559.3257

Lotus Restaurant
13704 83rd Way N., Maple Grove 
763.762.8932