Sake Cocktails: 5 Refreshing Recipes to Mix Yourself
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Table of contents
- Why sake is the better spirit
- Which sake should I use for mixing?
- 1. The Sake Highball (Refreshing)
- 2. Samurai Rock (The Classic)
- 3. The Saketini (Elegant)
- 4. Sake Tonic (The Gin Alternative)
- 5. Yuzu Spritz (Fruity)
Purists might turn up their noses, but sake cocktails have a long tradition in Japan. Since sake, at around 15% ABV, has significantly less alcohol than vodka or gin (40%), sake drinks are often lighter, easier to digest, and allow you to enjoy the evening for longer.
Why sake is the better spirit
Sake brings something that vodka lacks: umami and texture . While spirits often only provide the "oomph," sake gives the cocktail a smooth body and a subtle sweetness that often makes sugar in the recipe unnecessary.
Which sake should I use for mixing?
Please don't use expensive Junmai Daiginjo for cocktails. The subtle nuances would be lost in the mix. That would be a waste of money.
The best candidates are:
- Honjozo: Crisp, dry, and alcoholic. Perfect for highballs.
- Genshu (Undiluted): With approximately 18-19% ABV, strong enough to stand up to ice and soda.
- Junmai (strong): Brings a lot of rice flavor, which goes well with lime or ginger.
👉 Here you will find our affordable mixing sakes (Honjozo)
1. The Sake Highball
The ultimate trendy drink in Tokyo's izakayas. Super simple, super refreshing.
- Ingredients: 6cl sake (Honjozo), soda water, a splash of lemon.
- Preparation: Fill a highball glass with plenty of ice. Add sake, top with soda water, and stir gently. Squeeze lemon juice over the top.
2. Samurai Rock
The name sounds harsh, but the drink is very approachable. The acidity of the lime balances the sweetness of the sake.
- Ingredients: 6cl sake (Genshu or Junmai), 1.5cl fresh lime juice.
- Preparation: Build in a tumbler glass over ice cubes and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.
3. The Saketini
The Japanese answer to the Martini. Less alcoholic, but very elegant.
- Ingredients: 4cl gin, 2cl sake (instead of vermouth), cucumber slice.
- Preparation: Stir gin and sake in a mixing glass with ice until chilled (do not shake!). Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with cucumber (it goes better with sake than an olive).
4. Sake Tonic
If you find gin and tonic too strong or too juniper-heavy.
- Ingredients: 5cl dry sake, tonic water.
- Preparation: Like a gin and tonic. Glass with ice, add sake, top with tonic. If desired, add a slice of grapefruit – the bitter note is a perfect complement.
5. Yuzu Spritz
The summer hit. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit that tastes like a mixture of mandarin orange and lemon.
- Ingredients: 4cl sake, 2cl yuzu juice (or yuzu sake liqueur), prosecco or soda.
- Preparation: Mix sake and yuzu in a wine glass over ice, top with prosecco or soda. Garnish with mint.
👉 Try our ready-made yuzu sake for this drink!
Feeling like mixing?
You don't need expensive bar equipment. A good, sturdy honjozo is all you need to get started.
