Friday, July 31, 2009

Friday Night Cocktail


My goodness, is it Friday already? This week has flown by!

Since this is my "Birthday Party Weekend", I'm going to offer one of my favorite drinks in the world - nigori sake.

Most people probably know sake as a clear rice wine served hot, which tends to ease a bit of of its sharp flavor. In truth, the higher quality sakes are served chilled, including nigori - an unfiltered variety.
"Nigori" translates roughly as "cloudy". The bottle must be shaken before serving to properly blend the sediments at the bottom, resulting in a milky, finely grainy liquid that has a smooth flavor and subtly sweet flavor you won't find in other in other sakes.
It is so easy to drink, and paired with good sushi, it's heavenly. Seriously, there is a special kind of nirvana that can be reached only by eating great sushi and drinking nigori sake in good company.
A wonderful way to keep your nigori cold is to use a clever little bottle, like the one pictured above, which has a little pocket in the center that you fill with ice.
Another nice touch is to drink it from masu, traditional box-shaped cups made of cedar. These unique drinking vessels have been used for celebrating in Japan for centuries, and impart a delicate cedar aroma and flavor to the sake that is delightful and invigorating.

Kampai!

No comments:

Post a Comment

And what have you to say for yourself???