If you’ve ever had good sake, it knocks your socks off. Like any alcohol, most of us drink cheap sake at sushi restaurants and think they all taste the same. But once you take a tour of a sake brewery (yes, sake is brewed, it is not rice wine) or take a sake class or go to a sake tasting with high quality, fresh sake, you realize the nuance, the care and the drink has a depth of flavor like no other. The flavors of lychee, passion fruit, and rose are reminiscent of a white wine and there’s a delicacy there that’s wholly beautiful.
Sake ONO, a new sake brewery that opened last year, has been seeking to elevate sake from Japanese restaurant staple to fine dining. One of the ways to do that is with using sake in cocktails.
Sake ONO is brewed in collaboration with the Yoshi No Gawa brewery, the oldest brewery in Niigata prefecture and the eighth oldest in Japan. The style is a Junmai Daiginjo (to learn more about sake styles, click here). ONO is currently available across 11 U.S. states and recently started selling in London across the pond. They’ll be in three more states come the end of year and hope to expand Japanese sales as well. They’ve also made it into some high end hot spots like select Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental hotels.
If you are looking to pair foods with sake, you’re in luck. Yes, there’s the obvious Japanese fare but Sake ONO CEO Lana Buchanan says the drink does really well with other umami rich foods like mushroom risotto, beef carpaccio or aged cheeses. Buchanan also surprises with a dessert pairing as well: cheesecake.
“We believe sake deserves a new chapter, one where it is celebrated beyond its traditional context. We’re here to show that sake can be as sophisticated and versatile as any wine or spirit, whether served chilled in a wine glass or mixed into a low-ABV version of a classic cocktail. We were thrilled to see sake gaining more recognition and we’re just getting started!”
What Cocktails Work With Sake?
“The deep and complex flavor of Sake ONO allows it to stand up against premium spirits in cocktails,” said Buchanan. “Sake ONO can be used in a variety of ways to create unique and fresh cocktails, whether they are stirred, sours, or highballs. With an ABV of 15%, Sake ONO can be a great lower alcohol alternative in cocktails while still offering a versatility, complimenting other cocktail ingredients.”
ONO has a couple of examples of how they would incorporate their drink into cocktails. See below a try a couple at home! Cheers to good drinks and remember to drink responsibly with the people you truly care about.
Sake Martini
2 oz. sake
1/2 oz. dry gin
1/4 oz. vodka
1 dash umami bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing pitching and add ice. Stir for 15 seconds. Strain into coupe glass and garnish with lemon peel and olives.
Sake Highball
2 oz sake
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. bourbon
1/4 oz. simple syrup
Top with club coda
Combine sake, lemon juice, bourbon, and simple syrup into shaker. Add ice and shake for about 15 seconds. Strain over ice into a highball glass, top with club soda and garnish with a lemon wheel.
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