People often think of sake as a Japanese rice wine; however, the fermenting process is closer to brewing beer than crafting wine. Ultimately, sake is neither a beer, wine, nor liquor, as sake is its own category. Consumers often enjoy sake alone, sometimes chilled or sometimes warmed, so adding sake to a cocktail may feel like a strange concept. Still, the resulting cocktail is a perfectly balanced and complex experience.
Lychee Martini
The lychee martini, like most lychee cocktails, is a smooth and slightly sweet drink that hits all the right notes, all thanks to the sake.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce sake
- ½ ounce lychee liqueur
- Ice
- Lychee for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, gin, sake, and lychee liqueur.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lychee.
Cucumber Sake Cooler
Take a flip to the cool side of sake with muddled cucumber to complement the earthy notes.
Ingredients
- 3-4 cucumber slices
- 1½ ounces gin
- 1 ounce sake
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Cucumber wheels and mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle cucumber slices with simple syrup.
- Add ice, gin, sake, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with cucumber wheels and mint leaves.
Yuzu Sake Sour
Give your sake a sour spin with the distinct flavors found in the yuzu citrus.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces sake
- ½ ounce yuzu juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Yuzu or lemon wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail, add ice, sake, yuzu juice, simple syrup, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with citrus wedge.
Plum Sake Old-Fashioned
Give your old-fashioned new life with a timeless ingredient. The sake gives an umami spin to what is typically a sweeter drink.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, bourbon, plum sake, plum simple syrup, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange twist.
Japanese Mule
Classic cocktails such as the Moscow Mule are a blank canvas for new flavors and inspiration.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces sake
- ½ ounce vodka
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Ginger beer to top off
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a copper mug or rocks glass, add ice, sake, vodka, and lime juice
- Stir to mix.
- Top off with ginger beer.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Sake Cosmopolitan
Skip the typical vodka base in the cosmo in favor of sake. The result? You'll never stop telling anyone about this new riff.
Ingredients
- 1¾ ounces sake
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur
- ½ ounce cranberry juice
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, sake, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and lime juice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into chilled glass.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Sake Cocktails for All
Don't be put off by a new ingredient or even one you can't possibly believe could be the star in a cocktail. With so many incredible flavors and a vast selection of sake, you can dream up big cocktails with innovation and imagination as your guide. Your first step is easy: take that first sip.
