Subtly flavored and endlessly versatile, this traditional Japanese drink goes mod in summer cocktails all over town.
Imagine a chic, subtly flavored spirit that sings in imaginative and delicious cocktails. Now imagine the cocktails mixed with that spirit are so tasty you have one or two more than intended—but with no ill effects or lingering hangovers. What you’re imagining is sake.
“Sake is an excellent flavor carrier,” says Clif Travers, mixologist at the new Harvard Square must-try destination Om. “It’s like vodka or champagne—it doesn’t fight with other flavors. This is how you get a multilevel cocktail: by using a main component that can stand well on its own but also carries the other components.” This summer Om serves the Sayonara Baby! (a sake martini with lychee puree and garnished with lychee fruit) and the Summer Sake Spritzer, which is made from sparkling sake, Rain vodka, watermelon puree, essence of spearmint and a watermelon garnish.
“Sake is very versatile,” says Mike Paquette, general manager and wine director of Restaurant L. “It’s nice to do a mixed drink with sake instead of vodka because it has a cleaner and more refreshing taste.”
L’s Poochi-Poochi Sake Martini features Poochi-Poochi sake, fresh-squeezed lemon and lime, a splash of Cointreau and sake sorbet. The Nigori Sake Martini has Nigori sake, vanilla essential oil and a splash of syrup topped with a banana-cream froth.
Sake inspires Junior Portal, chef and general manager of Betty’s Wok & Noodle Diner, to wax poetic. “It’s like a cool breeze on a warm, sunny day,” he says. “It’s so refreshing. And with sake I can make lots of distinctive and flavorful cocktails. We took the problem of not having a [full] liquor license and worked it to our advantage with the sake.” One of the trademark sake cocktails at Betty’s is the Sake Mojito, made with sake, fresh mint and lime juice. This summer, in honor of the Year of the Dog, Portal offers a Mota Martini (named for his shih tzu) with sake, ginger, tamarind, brown sugar and fresh limes.
“We present sake from a modern perspective and in a non-Japanese restaurant context,” says Erin Shea, manager of Great Bay. “There are several new import companies taking a fine wine approach to sake, elevating the quality, stressing handmade artisan products and presenting them with informative English translations on their labels.” Sake is perfect for predinner cocktails because, she says, it’s “refreshing, light and stimulates the appetite. It is also naturally sulfite-free, so there is less of a chance of getting a hangover.” Great Bay’s top-selling straight-up sake is Rihaku Dreamy Clouds Junmai Tokubetsu Nigori. “It’s naturally cloudy, velvety smooth and rich with bright citrus notes on a lingering finish. It’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted,” Shea says. She also does a tempting sake cocktail: The Jade Martini contains Momokawa Ruby sake and their special house green tea-infused vodka.
