Sake at home
A preparation guide for the local Austinite watching the Tokyo 2021 Olympics
By Julia Rasor
It’s affectionately associated with becoming closer to the people around you. While the formalities and nature of sake can be difficult to understand it’s actually a celebration — that’s the point of sake.
Now that the Tokyo Olympics are officially back on in July, foreigners will not be allowed to enter the country for safety during the Covid-19 pandemic. Those who can’t be there might want to enjoy some of the culture at home.
Here’s my beginner’s walk-through on things that will help you integrate sake into your Austin home.
It’s customary in Japan to pour a glass of sake for someone else and not for yourself. This is a tradition of hospitality that Japan has respected for generations.
“To me, hospitality means offering the kind of service to a guest before they even recognize they need that service,” Sally Matsumae said. “It’s being one step ahead of their needs and wants so the guest feels like they are being taken care of and guests should always leave happier than when they come into our establishment.”
Matsumae, 40, is the owner and curator of Asahi Imports, a local specialty market in Austin focusing on Japanese groceries. Asahi Imports offers a variety of sake in different styles, flavors and prices.
Navigating sake drinking in Austin can be pretty difficult, so to get a better feel for it, here’s a breakdown of some things to keep in mind when you go to a market or store, even a restaurant, to get some Japanese alcohol for your Olympic weekend.
Check out this short video demonstration I did on the traditional of the Sake Overpour:
The Chokos and Masu
There are several different kinds of glasses used for sake drinking, with the most popular being the choko. This will likely be the easiest to find in Austin.
Cold sakes can be enjoyed in a typical drinking choko glass, however the more traditional method includes the masu, or wooden box. Hot sakes require a little more care and are typically enjoyed in a ceramic drinking cup.
It’s best to heat up the sake by using a warmed ceramic carafe. That way the integrity of the alcohol and the gentle nature of flavors are not lost in a heating process. However, it should be noted that sake can be heated carefully in a microwave in slow increments. When enjoying these sakes at home, keep in mind the kind of glassware you have as it really does have an effect on the flavors of the alcohol.
Storage
Unlike wine or beer, sake requires more delicate storing. Once a bottle of sake is opened it should be refrigerated if unfinished. It’s best to err on the side of caution for most beginner sake drinkers, and just keep it refrigerated. An open bottle of sake is a bit sturdier than wine or beer, and you can continue drinking it for another three weeks.
“If you are going to go with a minimum amount of care for your sake, keep it out of the sunlight,” said Peyton Walston, the beverage manager for Austin’s Uchi sushi restaurant. “[Sake] drinks young so you don’t want to store your stockade for a long time . . . not like wine where you can buy wine and you can keep it.”
The Sake
When picking out the perfect sake, it boils down to the differences between being filtered and unfiltered. The main difference is going to be the mouth feel. Unfiltered doesn’t mean more alcohol, but a more textured drink that is creamier and looks similar to milk. Filtered sake has a crisp, clean and smooth feel similar to Vodka.
Sake has a wide variety of flavor profiles, not just one type, and it’s just as versatile as wine and beer. This versatility of sake makes pairing with any food almost seamless; like any good drink the ability to pair with multiple foods is paramount.
Austin is adapting to the growing interest in sake, and stores and markets are increasingly becoming more accommodating as shelves are lined with selections of sakes in different flavors.
“We’re trying to differentiate from HEB and H Mart, and even Central Market because they are starting to have pretty stellar sake selections as well, but we at Saba San’s are working with much smaller brewers,” Sophie Stuart said.
Stuart, 33, is the wine buyer at Saba San’s — a small alcohol business that grew out of Bento Box, a sushi restaurant in Austin. It was created from the desire to provide hard-to-source wine from small vineyards.
“We actually have a wine club that we are adapting because of the growing interest in sake. We are doing like $25 a month right now to their wine club package to get a bottle of sake as well.”
Whether dining out, grocery shopping or partaking in a sake tasting, there are a lot of resources in Austin to help you embark on a sake adventure, and just in time to prepare for the 2021 Olympics.
Kanpai!
Sake Cocktail Recipe — The Pretty Princess
This cocktail is just sweet enough to mask any discomfort for beginning sake drinkers and get something fun and light for the warm Austin summer.
- Glass of your choosing, just for fun I use a cocktail glass.
- 2 tablespoons of Hakushika Sake
- 1 tablespoon of peach liqueur (Peachtree)
- 1 tablespoon cranberry juice
- A little more then ½ tablespoon of undiluted calpis
- Give it a good shake in a cocktail shaker and pour over ice. Dust glass rim with sugar.
Cocktail Source; https://www.hakushika.co.jp/en/enjoy/cocktail.html
A fantastic sake blog: https://sake-world.com
Great informational sake notes on the process of sake and its elements: http://www.nada-ken.com/main/en/translators-note
