Celebrating Sake this New Year’s

Celebrating New Year’s with sake is a great alternative to Champagne. There’s also a long tradition in Japan to do so. In this article, we highlight a traditional New Year’s sake concoction called o-toso, as well as some modern sparkling sake recommendations.

O-toso: Drink to Your Health in 2021

It’s literally possible to drink to your health (in moderation) with this ancient medicinal beverage. Many of its traditional ingredients have real health benefits. But what is O-toso?  

O-toso, or toso, is sake or mirin that has been steeped in a mix of herbs that’s served ceremonially as a health tonic. This is traditionally done during New Year’s celebrations within the family. Imbibing this herbal beverage is said to invite good health for the entire year. Closing out 2020, this has our attention. 

Traditionally, there are eight ingredients in the mixture. Cinnamon, rhubarb, and sansho are the ones you may recognize. Additionally, there are three types of roots: bofu (ledebouriellae radix), uzu (aconite), and okera (atractylodis). Finally, there is bekkatsu (smilax China) and kikyou (platycodi radix). That’s a brutal recipe for sure.

In Japan, you can pick up packets of this mix, called o-tososan, but these can be difficult to find outside of the country. Japanese neighborhood markets or grocers are a good place to check. At the moment, we don’t know of any online retailers in North America. If you know of one, please let us know! 

Natural Import Company has an achievable alternate recipe you could try if you can’t find o-tososan. Check it out here. We’d love to hear about your favorite recipe!

If you’re still burning for more o-toso information, check out this informative post from Sake World.

A Modern New Year’s Sake Celebration

If you’re looking for a modern sake option for your New Year’s, we have some suggestions. Below are some festive brands to toast to 2021. And if cocktails are more your style, we’ve got you covered too. 

Sparkling Sake

New Year’s and bubbles are a classic combo. But not everyone is into Champagne or can afford it. There are some delicious sparkling sake alternatives if sparkling wine is too dry, sour, or pricey for your tastes.

Sparkling sake, or happo-seishu, is oftentimes sweet and low in alcohol content. But there are some notable exceptions. Check out this list of commonly available sparkling sake.

We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

Sho Chiku Bai Mio Sparkling Sake

Mio is one of the most popular sparkling sake on the market. It’s widely distributed, can often be found for under $10 (300 ml), and has a sweet, mild nature. It tastes like the sake equivalent to Moscato d’Asti. At only 5% abv, this is a very sessionable drink. Mio’s affordable price-point makes it a good option for mixing.

Hana Hou Hou Shu: Rose Sparkling Sake

This is another sweet and mild sparkling sake, but this one is infused with rose hips and hibiscus. Hana Hou Hou Shu is a crowd-pleaser. It’s more aromatic and lively than Mio, with a fruitier profile. This sparkler also shines in cocktails.

Fukucho “Seaside” 

This is a really fun sake made by Imada Shuzo of Hiroshima. This junmai has a bright, citrusy profile and a plush texture. Toji icon Miho Imada uses some white koji in the fermentation, which adds acidity and those citrus notes. The price is a little higher, at around $35 for a 500 ml bottle.

Nanbu Bijin Awa Sparkling Junmai Ginjo

Nanbu Bijin only makes outstanding sake. Awa Sparkling is for the Champagne lovers out there. It uses the methode champenoise to produce an off-dry, robust, and complex sparkler. There’s also plenty of fruity, floral junmai ginjo characteristics as well. The soft finish is also uniquely sake. Expect to pay around $90 for a 720 ml bottle.

Sparkling Sake Cocktails

Wouldn’t you know, sparkling sake also makes an awesome cocktail ingredient. It comes with the added benefit of giving you a ton of options for customizing your drink. There’s no need to spend a fortune on the sake either. The least expensive sparkling sake brands are light, tart, and moderately sweet. This is the type we recommend using. Below is an easy template to help you make your own delicious New Year’s sparkling sake cocktails. 

• 0.5 oz clear spirit
• 0.5 oz lime or lemon juice
• 0.25 oz simple syrup or liqueur
• Chilled Sparkling sake

Combine the base spirit, liqueur, and citrus juice. Add ice then shake. Stirring is fine if you don’t have a shaker. Strain the liquid into a chilled flute and top with sparkling sake. 

There are obviously many directions you can take with this formula. Here are a few examples. Gin, lemon, and simple syrup will produce a sake French 75. Margarita fans could use Blanco Tequila, lime juice, and triple sec. Rum, lime, and simple syrup are another proven combo if that’s more your style. 

Other liqueurs that work well in the above recipe are elderflower, ginger, cherry, cassis, and melon. The most important thing here is to pick the ingredients you like. You can adjust the strength by using less liquor or by creating more dilution.