To many of us, saké may be an unfamiliar beverage. However, growing up in a house where extensive wine knowledge is a requirement to succeed in life, I was curious to learn more about this "rice wine." So, one evening my boyfriend and I went on a date to a nice sushi bar in Del Mar. We felt adventurous and ordered the house hot saké. We were not thrilled, both finding it harsh and fairly unpleasant. I decided that warm rice wine did not compliment my sushi.
Not too long after this, I applied and got a bar tending job in San Diego. Little did I know that this would further my distaste of saké. I was instructed to remember the thousands (ok, maybe hundreds) of sakés that we served. All the bottles looked different. All the names were different. All the names were written in Japanese characters. And there were different types of saké! I was screwed. To add insult to injury, the girl who trained me might have been the craziest human being on planet earth. If she had anything to do with my saké training and knowledge, I had to go asap.
After this (extremely traumatic) experience, I decided to leave saké alone for the moment. I had other beverages of choice, and I was ok with that. That was until my best friend Rachel Taylor got a job with Rock Saké.
I still remember the day that I met Rachel for lunch in Westwood when she told me the good news. She had just heard word that she had gotten a position within the rapidly growing saké company. The single saccade of her excitement immediately made me happy for her. I made a vow then and there that I would have an open mind about saké. Little did I know that she would introduce me to a saké unlike I had ever tasted before.
Rock Saké is regarded as a top shelf saké. In essence, it is the ultra premium beverage with a pronounceable name. I thought putting Rock Saké on our cocktail menu at my restaurant sounded like a good idea. We serve a wide array of international customers who might find Sakétinis appealing! And to make a long story short, we did. We featured Rock Saké premium cocktails from May-September 2010. It was a hit.
Rock Saké promotes two different saké grades:
- Rock Saké Junmai Ginjo: This saké comes in the white bottle and has a clear color. It has a subtle hint of lime and feels cool to the tongue. It comes from all natural California milled rice and pure spring water from the mountain ranges of Oregon. This saké is gluten free and comes from only the finest ingredients. Junmai Ginjo can be substituted for vodka in cocktails easily. Try a Saké Lemonade martini with a sugared rim, or Cucumber Mojito. For an extra refreshing flavor, add muddled cucumber and/or elderflower liqueur.
- Rock Saké: Cloud: This is an unfiltered saké, with a cloudy opaque appearance. Cloud is a "nigori" sake that has a slightly sweeter flavor than the Junmai Ginjo. This is the most traditional form of saké and contains no sulfites, additives, and is also gluten free. This is my personal favorite as its flavor compliments any cocktail. It has a wholesome flavor with herbaceous notes, coating the palate delicately. Try the Cloud with sparking grapefruit juice and a splash of lime or jasmine liqueur. Or better yet, drink it simply by itself! Make sure to shake this bottle up!
If you would like to try a bottle of Rock Saké, please contact either myself or Rachel. We would love to introduce you to this refreshing beverage!
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