Sake – Not Just for Sushi, Any More

When I mention sake (Japanese rice wine) as a cocktail ingredient, I often get looks of surprise.  Since its introduction to the West, sake has been linked almost solely with sushi, Japanese hibachi cuisine and things Asian.  But it can also be a remarkably light but flavorful cocktail component.  But first a few words. . . a very few words . . . about sake.

Sake is a wine brewed from rice.  It’s “brewed,” because it comes from grain.  There are many different types of sake, and a wide range of prices – especially for the premium varieties - but the ones used in cocktails don’t need to be sophisticated.  In Japan, sake is more often consumed chilled, rather than heated, as we often see in restaurants.  Sake on the rocks is a clean-tasting aperitif, and there’s no need to make a fuss over the “proper” way to consume sake, when it’s used in cocktails.  So here goes:

Sake on the Rocks

2 oz Sake

Pour over ice and garnish with cucumber slices or a wedge of lime. 

 

The Sake Martini

2 oz Dry gin (or vodka, if you prefer)

½ oz Sake

Cucumber for garnish

Place the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until well chilled.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a thin spear of cucumber or a sprig of dill.

Tip: Using sake, instead of dry vermouth reduces the amount of botanicals (herb flavoring) in a martini, leaving the cocktail with a cleaner taste.  Dry vermouth can seem heavy, by comparison.

The Bloody Maru

2 oz Sake

6 oz Tomato juice

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Juice of ½ lemon

Cucumber spear for garnish

Tip:  Sake has a unique, light flavor that goes so well with the other ingredients – perhaps far better than vodka does.  For a more Asian feel, use a dash of soy sauce, instead of Worcestershire.  Or feel free to use a TINY (that’s T-I-N-Y) bit of prepared wasabi, instead of cayenne pepper.  Mixology is about experimenting with flavors and combinations.