Sake 101

When was the last time you boasted with your friends exclaiming

 “I had this AWESOME sake last night!!” 

You probably never boast about sake, and that is alright.  It is a rare beverage, and it is an acquired taste. However, when one stumbles across a delicious sake, it will most likely linger in your mind for a very long time, and peek curiosity.

  Just like wine takes a special grape, sake takes a special rice. The taste of sake greatly depends on the balance of sweetness, and acidity which is maintained only through the proper balance of water, malt, yeast, and steamed rice.  Sake is a niche all its own. To become a Sake Sommelier is no easy task,  but consider the below selections your Sake 101.  

Bunny $12 
Japan : Nara Prefecture
Sparkling sake! Oh, yeah. It is the perfect amount of sweetness, a bit  of yogurt creaminess, rich and just absolutely tasty. Enjoy it with a fruit forward dessert or as an apertif.

Rihaku ‘Dreamy Clouds’  $17
Japan : Shimane Prefecture 
Gohyakumangoku
Junmai Nigori 
Fresh aromas of steamed rice and fresh red plums. It is bright and lean on the palate with sweet rice flavors, intermingling with the nut and ripe fruit qualities. Enjoy this sake with salty fish, mac and cheese, heck, even potato chips.

Hananomai Junmai Ginjo $25
Japan: Shizuoka Prefecture 
This sake has a lovely freshness that evokes snowfall (for those like myself, who dolike snow).
It also possess a pretty, floral nose with a spring-like greenness and notes of rainwater.  Pair this with seared foie gras, steak, or even shellfish!