Toast Tuesday: Sake

I’ve had a wonderful week of sake.  The story, the process, and the different types are all too vast for me to summarize in any succinct manner.  I’ll just tell you, sake is yummy.  If you don’t believe me, I’ve got a room full of ladies that’ll tell you I changed some minds.  Our guide in this journey is very passionate about his sake.  I will certainly have to give a little more thought the next time I go out for sushi.

For my monthly Happy Hour at Home, I made cocktails with sake!

In addition to our cocktails, I had sake for the ladies to try.  Sometime last summer I went to a short sake seminar.  I tried all sorts of sakes and I learned a few things that really stuck in my head.

1.  They polish the rice before it is fermented.  The more they polish it, the higher grade the sake.  When they polish it, they are removing a certain percentage of the grain to achieve a certain flavor.
2.   I’m not a huge fan of the unfiltered sake I have tried.  I won’t say I don’t like unfiltered sake, because I am sure there is some I would like.  But so far, not a fan.

The winner of the sake samples, was my favorite from the sake tasting I went to.  It was a sparkling sake.  If I hadn’t told them it was sake, they would have all thought it was champagne.  It’s beautifully delicate, with a hint of floral sweetness.  That is the pretty blue bottle in the front of the picture with 4 sake bottles.

I made three cocktails.  All were a huge hit, but there is always a clear favorite.  This evening the gold medal went to the Mojito.

Sake Mojito
In an 8 ounce mason jar or rocks glass, muddle
2 sugar cubes
7-10 mint leaves
1 wedge of lime
Fill glass with ice and top with sake (about 4oz).
Stir well and enjoy!

Pineapple Sake-tini
2 oz sake
1/2 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz lime juice
Splash simple syrup (1/4z)
Few drops Elemakule bitters or Angostura bitters
Shake with ice and serve up.

Cucumber Sake-tini
2 oz sake
1/2 oz cucumber infused vodka*
1/4 oz simple syrup
Shake with ice and serve up.

*I chopped and muddled 1 large cucumber and topped with 8 ounces of vodka. Let the infusion sit in the fridge for 2 days, then strained.
The simple syrup really heightens the flavor of the cucumber.
To kick this martini up a notch, add 1/2 oz Hot Monkey or you favorite pepper infused vodka.

As I sit here, pondering my week of sake, I am enjoying another mojito.  This may be this summer’s drink… that is until the next amazing week of drinks.

Here’s to Toasting a great Tuesday!  Be sure to see what Meg drank.