Presented by Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor

The Nigori Saketini is a delicious, citrusy, refreshing, lower-alcohol cocktail that resembles the classic White Lady, right down to the kisses of gin and lemon. Hence, I nicknamed it the “Kyoto Lady.” The White Lady is traditionally made with egg white to give it a creamy texture, but the Kyoto Lady gets its creaminess from nigori saké. 

Nigori sake? What’s that?
Nigori saké (a/k/a nigori-zake—the ‘z’ is pronounced as ’s’) is cloudy saké. While most saké is filtered to clarity, nigori saké retains some of the fine rice solids that remain after saké fermentation. The brewer may have passed the saké through a coarser filter, or she may have added some of the rice solids back into the finished saké. Either way, the result is the same: a saké that’s a bit sweeter than many of its clarified counterparts and definitely creamier in texture. 

Note: When served as is, nigori saké should chilled to 55-60 degrees or even colder. After you’ve opened it, store it in the fridge so it retains its intended flavors as long as possible (it should be fine for 2-3 weeks when refrigerated). Besides using it in the Kyoto Lady, enjoy your nigori saké with spicy foods, barbecue, pork, or crab. 

Let’s mix the drink now. 
Gin selection is important to this cocktail, even though it’s just one ounce in this 4½-ounce recipe. A good London Dry gin is essential; avoid using any heavily botanical, perfumey gins of the New World variety, as their aromas and flavors will compete with the lemon and overwhelm the delicate flavors of the saké.

NIGORI SAKETINI (or “KYOTO LADY”)
2½ oz Tozai Snow Maiden saké
1 oz Bombay Sapphire or similar London Dry Gin
½ oz Freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ oz Simple syrup (optional—omit if you like ‘bone dry’)

Before pouring the saké, shake the bottle to integrate any settled rice solids. Also, chill a large cocktail coupe before starting to mix the drink.

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with plenty of ice and shake for 15-20 seconds to chill the mix thoroughly. Strain it into the chilled coupe. Garnish the drink with a curl or twist of lemon zest.

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.