…and a little about other ways to enjoy sake—a great ingredient to have when you’re drinking more than one!

I love sake, and I love using sake in cocktails. Too many Americans think of sake only as the warmed-up, often less-than-pleasant beverage typically served in Japanese-themed chain restaurants. There’s an entire, wonderful world of sakes in seemingly as many styles as there are of wine or whiskey, and the best are most enjoyable chilled—not warmed. To learn some more about sake, check out this helpful website.

Good sakes are readily available at several good shops around Rochester; here’s the selection at Pinnacle. My go-to, for sipping with seafood or other light fare as well as for mixing in cocktails, is Tozai Living Jewel Junmai Sake—as affordable as it is delicious and useful.

Despite its heavyweight name, the “Sumo in a Sidecar” is a tasty and satisfying lower-alcohol cocktail that will keep your tastebuds dancing through at least two servings before you reach the cumulative alcohol content of one typical cocktail based on any 80-proof white or brown liquor. The Tozai Living Jewel plays beautifully with apricot liqueur and lemon juice, and the net alcohol by volume in this glass is a modest 16½ percent—only a point or two more than a glass of hearty Napa Valley Cabernet.

As this cocktail’s name suggests, it’s a vague riff on the classic Sidecar cocktail, keeping the freshness of lemon while using sake instead of Cognac and apricot liqueur instead of orange liqueur. It’s as clever as it is delicious.

SUMO IN A SIDECAR
2½ oz Tozai Living Jewel (or similar Junmai sake)
1 oz Giffard Abricot du Rousillon
½ oz Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients with plenty of ice in a shaker, shake for 15-20 seconds, and strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe. Garnish with a twist of lemon zest or a wedge of fresh apricot (when they’re in season). 

More fun with sake!
If you enjoy the Sumo in a Sidecar, consider trying a Sake Manhattan, the Original Sin, Damn It Jimmy, or Appease the Cheese. 

About our Cocktail of the Week partners—shop local and independent!
Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor are less than a mile from each other, on Monroe Avenue near Twelve Corners in Brighton.

Cooks’ World, in business since 1978, is Rochester’s premier retailer of dining, kitchen, and cooking products, including a complete selection of glassware, mixology tools, and accessories for wine and spirits lovers. Follow Cooks’ World on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up here to receive Cooks’ World’s daily email specials and other news. 

Pinnacle Wine & Liquor, in business since 1997, offers a thoughtfully curated selection of spirits and wine from around the world, with a savvy staff to assist in your selection and encourage you along your cocktail and wine journey. Follow Pinnacle on Facebook and Instagram. For the inside track on Pinnacle’s spirits sales, send two text messages to (585)765-7546:
— Text the word “bourbon,” to receive weekly text messages offering the chance to buy rare or allocated whiskies or special prices on popular products.
—Text the word “spirits,” to receive roughly monthly offers on fine spirits other than whiskies.