Acclaimed Mixologist Takes On Saketinis

By Asian Restaurant News

Recognized nationally for her innovative cocktails, Lucy Brennan, owner of Mint/820 in Portland, Oregon recently took the challenge to apply her talents to developing saketinis with Momokawa and Moonstone sakes. The results surprised even her and have been gaining fans quickly. “I wasn’t sure what I would do with quality sake and the flavor infused Moonstone products were a concern at first." noted Brennan.“I thought the flavor infused sakes would all be sweet but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are not. They are a wonderful balance of sake flavors and fruit." Lucy worked with a dry Junmai Gingo, a Nigori, a premium Genshu, Asian Pear and Raspberry infused sakes. She was to develop new and distinct signature saketinis. Hours of thinking, tasting and moxing (not always in that order) lead to a set of drinks that truly please the palate. “It’s all about balance and harmony with flavor. What I choose to go into a cocktail must balance, or enhance the other flavors," added Lucy." Using G-Joy (Genshu) to mix with was wonderful. It’s a premium sake and while some might scoff at mixing with such a

fine drink, it is just such a sake that I want to work with . The flavors are deep and lush so I looked to highlight this while creating something that is refreshing and inspiring. A finished saketini should pair well with food, just as the base sake would." When making any of the Lucy Brennan recipes or those you develop on your own be sure to use fresh,quality ingredients.This will help you to ensure you are crafting the best flavors while ensuring your customers get a quality that exceeds their expectations. These and many more recipes are available in the saketini section of www.sakeone.com. Signature Saketinis by Lucy Brennan : Mint/820 offer a relaxing yet upscale dining experience where food and cocktails come together. Visit www.mintand820.com to learn more. Sake Notes Lucy utilized some wonderful sakes in her recipe development and by doing so learned a good deal about sake in general. To ensure your saketinis and your overall sake list meets the fast growing consumer demand it is good to understand the stylistic basics. Here’s some key terms to remember to help guide your buying decisions (more information is available at www.sakeone.com in the sake 101 section):

Junmai: Pure sake with nothing added to the 4 ingredients (rice, water, yeast & Koji). Examples of this are the Momokawa products or G Joy that Lucy mixed with. Ginjo: A measure of quality much like the term “Reserve” that is used with grape wine. Ginjo literally means that the rice used in the sake was milled to 60% of its original grain size. This removes the outer layers of the grain and eliminates the bitter and off flavors that exist toward the grains center. A premium sake will be a Junmai Ginjo, most of which are around 15% ALC. All of what Lucy mixed with were Ginjo grade sakes. Daiginjo:This category is like single vineyard-designate grape wines. The peak of a sakemaster’s craft. Special, small batch, handcrafted sake made from rice milled to at least 50% of its original grain and special yeasts, koji and filtering. Here you get subtle fruit and herb notes and the sake begins to take on such incredible flavors that the best Daiginjos seem otherworldly. Genshu: These fairly rare sakes are bottled at cask strength, higher alcohol. So where a typical Ginjo or Daiginjo will have water added to mellow flavor and cut the alcohol level, Genshus are uncut and offer the full flavor and character of pure sake. Like G Joy used in the “G Sling” saketini, these tend to be hearty, full-bodied with wonderful depth of flavor and a barely noticeable alcohol percentage of around 18%. Nigori:This antique style is a necessity to your sake list. They tend to be Junmai Ginjo Genshus (around 18% ALC.) and are either unfiltered or minimally filtered to leave in the rice sediment. This adds a milky like appearance and mouthfeel along with incredible flavors. Genshu Nigoris tend to offer rich flavors of coconut, anise and often pineapple. Nigoris are increasingly popular and may out sell Junmai Ginjos. Infused: These are uniquely American styles with natural fruit flavor added to the sake. The Moonstone Asian Pear and Raspberry used in the saketinis were made with Ginjo grade sake. They are a premium product, which is what you should always expect as this quality level tends to offer the best balance of sake and fruit flavors. Honjozo: While none of Lucy’s recipes include a Honjozo style sake, it is important to note this variety as it is the one style that has had a small amount of brewer’s alcohol added. This is done only to enhance aroma and highlight some flavor notes, not to make the sake stronger in alcohol. Honjozos tend to be light, fragrant and very enjoyable.