How to use sake in cocktails: styles, tips and recipe ideas

What happens when a drink rooted in tradition meets the creativity of modern mixology? London-based writer and anthropologist Joel Hart explores how sake is being reimagined in cocktails, and why its balance of umami, texture and aroma makes it such a compelling ingredient behind the bar. Once scarce in the UK - and when it did appear, often served hot enough to mask a low-grade profile - sake now occupies a very different space. The Japanese fermented rice beverage is more often associated with high-end settings: a life-changing pairing in an omakase, or the offbeat, quietly confident choice within a wine flight at one of the world's best restaurants. But what about cocktails - should mixing high-quality sake with other components be seen as sacrilegious, or might it occupy an important space in the UK's increasing sakemania? Once scarce in the UK – and when it did appear, often served piping hot to disguise poor quality – sake now occupies a very different space. The Japanese ferment

by WSETglobal · source ↗