Presented by Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor

Leading up to World Saké Day (October 1) and Pinnacle’s “Saké Simplified” Seminar on October 2, offering yet another saké cocktail only makes sense. 



First, a shameless plug…
…for that seminar: Pinnacle still has seats available. I’ll present an overview of the range of saké expressions and what you need to know to interpret the saké labels at your local wine shop. While we’re at it, you’ll taste six representative sakés (or more—I have bonus pours up my sleeve).

It’s not complicated! It’s just a different language than most of you are used to speaking.

By now, I trust you’ve detected my enthusiasm for saké (feel free to point and laugh—I can take it). It’s delicious and versatile in food pairings, just like wine! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about it and sample a variety to help you understand what it is and which styles appeal to you the most. 

Click on this link to register. There’s a $25 registration fee, but Pinnacle always credits that toward your bottle purchases the night of the seminar.

Now, back to our regular program, already in progress. 

For Saké’s Sake is a play on words (intended by its creator, Simon Difford), but also a brilliant example of how saké can fit into your home cocktail menu. My favorite ancient saké expression is, “saké doesn’t pick fights with food,” and it doesn’t pick fights with this drink. Indeed, it works beautifully with the other ingredients in For Saké’s Sake: light rum (yum!) and two citrus liqueurs—orange curaçao and Italicus. The saké plays a bridging and moderating role between those three flavor profiles.

You’ll want a saké with a little extra backbone of flavor and alcohol to stand up to the rum and sweet liqueurs. Difford recommends a daiginjo genshu saké (daiginjo is the highest saké rice milling grade, and genshu means ‘undiluted’). Still, I was delighted with the Pearls of Simplicity Junmai Daiginjo available at Pinnacle for this cocktail; it’s not a genshu, but it’s richly flavorful.

FOR SAKE’S SAKE
1½ oz Light rum (my choice: Probitas)
1½ oz Pearls of Wisdom Junmai Daiginjo Saké
⅓ oz Italicus Liqueur
⅓ oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao orange liqueur (or similar)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice, stir 15 seconds to chill well, then strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail coupe. For a garnish, float a thin slice of apple—Fuji, of course!

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.