I had already been thinking a lot about sake cocktails when I stumbled across a Reddit post from a user that had fallen in love with a sake Old Fashioned. But this person didn’t know how it was made.
My gears went into overdrive. And several ideas came to mind. I decided to put a couple of them to the test to see how they worked. And I’m excited to share the results with you.
There has also been a heavyweight Japanese whisky product release this week. And I touch on topics about alcohol education, luxury fruit, and more vegan sake news.
Sake Old Fashioned
There are many ways to mix a Sake Old Fashioned. But in my opinion, it tastes a lot better with at least some whisky in the mix.
With that in mind, here are a couple of recipes that I recommend.
For a rich, sake-forward drink, use a powerful or barrel-aged sake. The meaty Tamagawa and Kenbishi brands come to mind. A taru sake like Choryo Yoshinosugi would work for this, as well.
- 1 oz whisky
- 1 oz sake
- dash simple or muddled sugar cube
- a few dashes each Angostura and orange bitters
For my palate, this is the ultimate Sake Old Fashioned. The savory and nutty character of the sake melds perfectly with the backbone and barrel-aged spice in the whisky. This version of the drink is lighter than the classic version but even more complex.
The above recipe also works with other genshu sake brands. Narutotai, Kamoizumi “Red Maple”, and “Cowboy” are a few excellent brands that I recommend trying.
Kijoshu is a perfect sugar substitute in an Old Fashioned. But it can be pricey and hard to find.
Making sake simple syrup is super easy. Simply mix a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of sugar and warm sake. Stir the mixture until all the sugar dissolves and store in the fridge. You can use any sake. And it also works as a substitute for regular simple in other classic cocktails like the Mojito, Frech 75, and Daiquiri.
- 2 oz whisky
- 0.25 oz kijoshu or sake simple syrup
- a few dashes each Angostura and orange bitters
This is a boozy, whisky-forward Sake Old Fashioned. The sake plays a minor role but adds complexity. I highly recommend making this with a koji whisky like Ohishi or Fukano, if possible.
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Get Your Karuizawa Lottery Ticket
The legendary Karuizawa distillery stopped making whisky over a decade ago. But the market has changed considerably since the distillery closed. And today, the demand for Karuizawa whisky is ferocious.
Wisely, The Whisky Exchange purchased some casks from Kaurizawa and have been slowly releasing their own bottlings. And they recently announced that two new bottlings of their Ruby Geisha series are available via a lottery.
Learn more about these 34-year-old and 38-year-old Karuizawa whiskies from Forbes.
Professional Alcohol Certification is Booming
The pandemic created a lot of downtime and soul-searching for many, especially during the early stages. And many people wisely chose to utilize this freedom to learn new skills.
This was certainly the case in the food and beverage industry, where professional education is on the rise.
Check out Wine Industry Advisor’s coverage of WSET’s explosive growth.
Knotweed Makes Bacon Better
Invasive Japanese knotweed is a scourge in the UK and the US. But a new study provides a silver lining.
Knotweed can reduce cancerous compounds found in nitrate-preserved red meat.
Ham, bacon, and sausage are far from superfoods. But it’s nice to hear that some of the processed versions may get a little healthier.
Get the full scoop on the newfound side benefits of Japanese knotweed from the Daily Mail.
Luxury Japanese Fruit Season is Here
It’s no secret that luxury Japanese fruits can be extremely expensive. These ultra-fruits are certainly out of my price range. But I’m still fascinated by the dedication and care it takes to produce them.
The Free Press Journal has a fun read about this perfectionist side of the culinary world. Learn about Ruby Roman grapes and a few other prized boutique fruits.
Vegan Sake for India
A few weeks ago, I wrote about a new vegan movement within the sake industry. And here’s another article about a push to certify sake as a vegan product to help sales in India.
Check out The Asahi Shimbun for the details on vegan sake in India.
I’ll be circling back soon on this subject with a post of my own.
Please email me if you work for a brewery with vegan certifications for any of its products or are seeking vegan certification in the future. I’d love to learn about this and will include it in my post.