Sake is often drunk on its own as a stand-alone beverage. But what if it didn’t have to be? This article will explore different cocktail recipes that feature sake and how to highlight its flavors. Whether you are new to sake, well versed, or just in need of some change, these sake cocktail recipes are designed to provide you with a fresh and delicious way to enjoy Japan’s beloved brew.
How to make an easy sake cocktail recipe
Before diving into the recipes within this article, we will demonstrate how to build an easy sake cocktail using a simple example. The cocktail shown is a take on a classic and simple mixed drink: the highball. Oftentimes, the highball is a single pour of liquor (shochu, whiskey, vodka, gin, etc.) topped off with soda water and, occasionally, added fruit or sugar. But at its core, a highball is liquor and soda water — as simple as it can get.
Photo by Jake Lee
Ingredients:
4 ounces junmai sake
0.5 ounce Cointreau
8.5 ounces soda water
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Lemon peel
Instructions:
Pour 4 ounces junmai sake, 0.5 ounce Cointreau, and a light squeeze from a fresh lemon into a 13-ounce glass. Fill the glass with ice ¾ of the way. Add soda water to the top and then peel the skin of a lemon. Express the lemon peel and garnish before enjoying.
Methodology:
Since the goal is to imitate a highball, which is usually made with higher ABV liquor, we use 4 ounces of sake in place of 1.5-2 ounces of liquor. Using 4 ounces also ensures that the flavor of the sake does not get lost in the final product. Half an ounce of Cointreau (40% ABV) is used to help create a higher alcohol content beverage. It is also flavorful and adds sweetness. The lemon juice and oils add acidity and aroma to balance the umami-driven junmai.
When making cocktails with sake, it is important to consider the ratio of sake to other ingredients, as the sake could get lost in comparison. In particular, spirits can be challenging as they are very powerful in flavor. However, if they are used in smaller measurements and ratios to the sake, they can take on a supportive role rather than a leading one. This is especially true if using a neutral spirit like vodka.
Depending on what kind of sake is being featured and what kind of flavor is desired, it is also good to think about complementary or contrasting flavors. If the goal is to make a simple sake cocktail, start with the sake and identify its flavors and then choose complementary or supportive liquor to amplify those flavors. Next, add an element of flavor: fruit, herbs, liqueurs, etc. Most of the cocktail builds in this article will feature about 2 ounces of sake with 0.5 ounce of liquor and a few flavoring ingredients. Experimentation is key, and the possibilities are endless! There’s no right or wrong as long as the end result is fun and tasty.
Sake cocktail recipes by sake type
The following section will feature simple approaches to creating cocktails with a few different types of sake. Inspired by already popularized cocktails and using accessible ingredients, these recipes are intended to be approachable and fun for consumers of all experience levels.
Sake hot toddy (junmai)
Photo by Jake Lee
This recipe is well suited for someone seeking junmai sake cocktails. Though junmai sake can vary in flavor, they are often umami driven. This recipe will feature Zuiyo “Hojun,” utilizing its fantastic savory quality. Zuiyo “Hojun” has won several hot sake competitions in Japan, making it an ideal choice for a hot sake cocktail. The sake hot toddy builds upon the nutty and toasty flavors of the base sake with zesty yuzu, rich honey, herbaceous, spicy ginger and star anise. The end result will provide a new take on a familiar beverage. Give it a try when you want something warming in both flavor and temperature!
Ingredients:
4 ounces sake
0.75 ounce yuzu juice
0.75 ounce honey
2 anise stars
2 slices of ginger
Lemon wheel
Instructions:
Add 4 ounces sake, 0.75 ounce yuzu juice, 0.75 ounce honey, 2 anise stars lightly crushed, and 2 slices of ginger into a ceramic container. Place the ceramic container (or “tokkuri”) within a bowl or pot and add boiling water so that the container is adequately surrounded by hot water. This gradual process will ensure that the sake is warmed evenly and will protect the alcohol from being cooked off from the rolling boil of a stovetop. The ideal temperature for serving this beverage will be between 115-120 degrees Fahrenheit. For serving, enjoy this cocktail in a glass and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Note: The example pictured here was made using double the listed quantities to fill the large teacup.
Dark ‘n Cloudy saketini (nigori)
Photo by Jake Lee
Nigori sake is very popular, appealing to a wide demographic of sake consumers. Nigori makes an excellent ingredient for cocktails because of its big flavor and noticeable mouthfeel. Kikumasamune “Kinushiro” Nigori has a noticeably silky and rich texture, making it an excellent choice for building the Dark ‘n Cloudy saketini. Complex flavors consisting of melon, banana, coffee, chocolate and creamy milk are all carried by the strength of the nigori sake.
Ingredients:
2 ounces nigori
0.5 ounce vanilla cold brew
0.5 ounce rum
0.5 ounce Calpico concentrate
Dust with hot cocoa mix
Instructions:
Set aside a martini glass and chill with ice while you build the cocktail. In a pint glass, add 2 ounces nigori, 0.5 ounce vanilla cold brew, 0.5 ounce rum and 0.5 ounce Calpico concentrate. Add ice to your pint glass and top with a shaker. Shake your mixture with ice well to ensure foam is produced. Dump out the ice from the martini glass and strain your mixture into the glass. Hover a mesh strainer over the drink and lightly dust with hot cocoa mix on top of the foam. The mesh strainer will help catch excess cocoa mix to prevent your drink from getting over-garnished.
Berry Japanese 75 (sparkling sake)
Photo by Jake Lee
Inspired by the popular French 75, this sparkling sake cocktail is easy to assemble and delicious to consume. Only utilizing a few ingredients and the beautiful Shirakabegura “Mio” sparkling sake, this drink will make any evening feel celebratory.
Ingredients:
Frozen or fresh berries
0.5 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce dry gin
Sparkling sake
Lemon peel
Instructions:
In a pint glass, add a handful of frozen or fresh berries. Add 0.5 ounce lemon juice and muddle until juice is visible. After muddling, strain and pour your berry-lemon mixture into a Champagne flute (anywhere from 0.5 to 1 ounce, but no more than that). Add 1 ounce dry gin to the Champagne flute. Prepare a towel for the next step, as the sparkling sake will react to the sugars in the juice causing extra foam and possible spillage. Tilt your flute at an angle and slowly add the sparkling sake. Peel the skin of a lemon for a twist garnish. Express the oils from your twist on the rim of the flute, garnish and enjoy!
Umeshu fashioned (plum sake)
Photo by Jake Lee
The umeshu fashioned combines the richness and sweetness of plum sake with the spice and brightness of Japanese whisky. Sawanotsuru “Plum Sake” is perfect for building this cocktail as its aging further enhances its rich and robust character. The contrast of sweet, round flavors cut with the brighter, lighter body of Japanese whiskey creates a single, balanced beverage. This is made even more complex by introducing the herbaceous aromas of torched rosemary.
Ingredients:
2 ounces plum sake
1 ounce Japanese whisky
1 sprig rosemary
Lime wedge
Instructions:
Using a small rocks glass, add 2 ounces plum sake and 1 ounce Japanese whisky. Hit your sprig of rosemary with a food-safe torch until aromatic. Alternatively, a dry pan can be used to prepare the rosemary. After preparing your rosemary, add the sprig into the glass and use it to lightly stir the mixture. Fill to the brim with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.
10 sake cocktail recipes by flavor
The following section features 10 recipes driven by specific flavors. Each sake used is chosen specifically for the way they lend themselves to that flavor or in the way that they carry the desired flavor.
Yuzu drop
Photo by Jake Lee
The lemon drop is a common cocktail that most bartenders should have in their repertoire. Its light and refreshing qualities make it a desired drink by many. Homare “Yuzu” has a fragrant and bright zest-forward aroma, which works beautifully for this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 ounce yuzu sake
0.5 ounce limoncello
1 ounce vodka
0.5 ounce simple syrup (1 to 1 sugar-to-water ratio)
Lemon peel
Instructions:
Rim a martini glass with a lemon wedge and sugar, then set aside. Add 1 ounce yuzu sake, 0.5 ounce limoncello, 1 ounce vodka and 0.5 ounce simple syrup to a pint glass. Add ice before topping with a shaker and shaking well. After shaking, double strain your mixture into the martini glass using the cocktail strainer as well as a mesh strainer. This will keep your cocktail clear and free of ice bits. Lastly, peel the skin of a lemon for a twist garnish. Express the oils from the lemon peel over your drink, garnish and enjoy!
Cucumber shisojito
Photo by Jake Lee
The cucumber shisojito is a refreshing cocktail that evokes feelings of a relaxing summer afternoon. Juemon “Junmai” has a deep flavor and vegetal qualities that make it an ideal candidate for this mojito-inspired cocktail. The flavors and aromas of fresh shiso and muddled cucumber assist in preserving the vegetal qualities of this sake, while the neutral qualities of vodka assist in raising the alcohol content of the cocktail.
Ingredients:
Diced cucumbers
1 shiso leaf (stem removed)
2 ounces sake
1 ounce vodka
0.5 ounce lime juice
0.5 ounce simple syrup (1 to 1 sugar-to-water ratio)
Soda water
Lime wedge
Instructions:
In a pint glass, muddle a small handful of diced cucumbers with a medium-to-large sized shiso leaf. After muddling, add 2 ounces sake, 1 ounce vodka, 0.5 ounce lime juice and 0.5 ounce simple syrup. Top the pint glass with a shaker and shake until the muddled ingredients are broken up. Roughly strain the mixture into a glass filled with ice and diced cucumbers. Rough straining is ideal as it allows small shiso bits to come through, which is visually appealing and flavorful. Add soda water to the brim of the glass and garnish with lime. Enjoy this on a hot summer day or whenever you desire some refreshment!
Strawberry cloud
Photo by Jake Lee
The strawberry cloud takes the already deliciously balanced strawberry nigori made by Homare Brewing Company and builds upon it to make a cocktail with contrasting flavors of deep berries and bright, zesty notes. The cabernet sauvignon float is added not only for visual appeal, but also to emphasize the natural strawberry flavor in Homare’s flavored nigori.
Ingredients:
2 ounces strawberry nigori
1.5 ounces vodka
0.5 ounce lemon juice
0.5 ounce Calpico concentrate
Splash of soda water
Cabernet sauvignon
Strawberry
Lemon peel
Instructions:
In a tall cocktail glass, add 2 ounces strawberry nigori, 1.5 ounces vodka, 0.5 ounce lemon juice, 0.5 ounce Calpico concentrate and 1 splash soda water. Stir with a bar spoon and add ice about ¾ of the way to the top of the glass. Hover a bar spoon over the glass and pour cabernet sauvignon into the cocktail, creating a red wine float. The bar spoon will keep the flow of the red wine from going too strong, and let it sit on top of the drink. Garnish with a strawberry and a lemon peel before enjoying!
Coconut sake colada
Photo by Jake Lee
A riff on the classic piña colada, the sake colada features SakéOne’s Moonstone “Coconut Lemongrass” nigori sake. Having notes of rich coconut and fragrant lemongrass, this sake is ideal for the sake colada. Utilizing yuzu juice in place of pineapple juice not only assists the lemongrass flavors, but also keeps this cocktail Japanese oriented. Using a ginger liqueur such as Domaine de Canton also complements the lemongrass notes of the sake.
Ingredients:
2 ounces Moonstone “Coconut Lemongrass”
1 ounce Malibu coconut rum
0.5 ounce Domaine de Canton
0.5 ounce yuzu juice or yuzu concentrate
1 ounce coconut milk
Cherry
Instructions:
In a shaker, add 2 ounces “Coconut Lemongrass,” 1 ounce Malibu coconut rum, 0.5 ounce Domaine de Canton, 0.5 ounce yuzu juice and 1 ounce coconut milk. Shake well. In your serving glass of choice, add ice ¾ of the way to the top. Strain your mixture into the serving glass and then top off with additional ice if needed. Garnish with a cherry and enjoy!
Pineapple sour
Photo by Jake Lee
The pineapple sour cocktail takes the already deliciously fruity aspects of Ryujin “Kakushi Ginjo” and pushes it into a more tart and spirit-forward direction. Adding pineapple juice helps carry the existing pineapple notes on the nose of the sake. “Kakushi Ginjo” is an undiluted (“genshu”) sake, giving it room to open up with ingredients such as fresh lemon juice. Meanwhile, the vodka helps bring the alcohol content up while remaining neutral in flavor. And the sour gummy candies make it fun!
Ingredients:
2 ounces sake
0.5 ounce pineapple juice
0.5 ounce vodka
0.5 ounce lemon juice
Sour Patch Kids
Instructions:
In a rocks glass add 2 ounces sake, 0.5 ounce pineapple juice, 0.5 ounce vodka and 0.5 ounce lemon juice. Stir with a bar spoon and add ice to the brim. Spear Sour Patch Kids, garnish and enjoy!
Mango sakerita
Photo by Jake Lee
The mango sakerita features Harada “Junmai 80,” which has a nose of ripe mango. Mango juice is added to fortify and protect the sake’s aroma and flavor. Classic margarita ingredients such as triple sec (or Cointreau) and tequila are added to keep this recipe familiar yet nuanced. Tajin rims are not uncommon in margaritas, however if one wanted to enjoy this sakerita with a Japanese twist, supplementing shichimi (Japanese seven spice) would also be an excellent choice.
Ingredients:
2 ounces sake
0.5 ounce tequila
0.5 ounce Cointreau
0.5 ounce mango juice
Tajin or shichimi
Lime wedge
Instructions:
Use your desired glassware to measure out the amount of ice you’d like in your sakerita, then add the ice to a separate pint glass. After emptying the glassware, rim it with a lime wedge and then dip the glass into Tajin or shichimi before setting it aside. In the ice-filled pint glass, add 2 ounces sake, 0.5 ounce tequila, 0.5 ounce Cointreau and 0.5 ounce mango juice. Top the pint glass with a shaker and shake. Pour your mixture into the spice-rimmed glassware and garnish with a lime.
Momo From the South
Photo by Jake Lee
Momo From the South is inspired by the combination of peach and bourbon. Kamikokoro “Momo” sake has a luscious mouthfeel exploding with the flavors of real, fleshy white peaches. This makes it an excellent ingredient for cocktails, as well as being a stand-alone beverage. Using a small amount of bourbon is enough to bring the two rich flavors together. The richness is cut with ginger beer and brightened up by mint.
Ingredients:
2 ounces peach sake
0.5 ounce bourbon
Splash of ginger beer
Small sprig of mint
Instructions:
Pour 2 ounces peach sake and 0.5 ounce bourbon into your desired glassware. Add ice, but leave room for a splash of strong ginger beer. After adding the ginger beer to the brim, lightly stir the ingredients in the glassware with a bar spoon. Finish the drink by adding a small sprig of mint on top of the cocktail.
Ginger nama genshu
Photo by Jake Lee
“Nama genshu” sake is unpasteurized and undiluted sake. This cocktail balances the desirable acidic and herbaceous flavors of Narutotai “Ginjo” Nama Genshu with sweet and warming ginger liqueur. Adding equal parts lemon and ginger juice helps to open up the undiluted genshu while maintaining the balanced calmness of this cocktail.
Ingredients:
2 ounces nama genshu sake
1 ounce Domaine de Canton
0.25 ounce ginger juice
0.25 ounce lemon juice
Candied ginger for garnish
(For fans of a sweeter cocktail: 1.5 ounces sake and 1.5 ounces Canton)
Instructions:
In a rocks glass, add 2 ounces nama genshu sake, 1 ounce Domaine de Canton, 0.25 ounce ginger juice and 0.25 ounce lemon juice. Fill to the brim with ice and lightly stir with a bar spoon. Garnish this cocktail with a piece of candied ginger and enjoy.
Orange oolong hi
Photo by Jake Lee
The orange oolong hi is inspired by the beautifully fruity, fragrant and plump Nanbu Bijin “Tokubetsu Junmai.” Cointreau complements it well, creating a bouquet of floral, citrus and berry flavors. This is then balanced with the astringency of tonic water and the bold, earthy notes of oolong tea, creating a refreshing and simple cocktail.
Ingredients:
2 ounces sake
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce oolong concentrate (1 to 3 ratio of loose oolong tea to water, steeped for 3-5 minutes)
Splash of tonic water
Orange peel
Cherry
Instructions:
In a highball glass, add 2 ounces sake, 1 ounce Cointreau and 1 ounce oolong concentrate. Add ice about ¾ of the way to the top of the glass and top with tonic water. Using a bar spoon, stir the drink until ingredients are mixed. Use a fresh orange peel to express oils onto the rim of the glass, then use said peel to garnish the drink along with a cherry.
Bruised melon saketini
Photo by Jake Lee
The bruised melon saketini features Kudoki Jozu “Junmai Ginjo.” With an already present nose of melon and green apple, the sake is supported with melon liqueur and neutrally flavored vodka to create a fun and playful cocktail for those who crave something sweet.
Ingredients:
2 ounces sake
1 ounce melon liqueur
0.5 ounce vodka
Kasugai gummy candy
(For fans of a more stiff martini, 1 ounce vodka and 0.5 ounce melon liqueur may be used instead.)
Instructions:
Add ice to a martini glass to chill and set aside while you build your drink. In a pint glass, add 2 ounces sake, 1 ounce melon liqueur and 0.5 ounce vodka. Add ice to pint glass and top with a shaker. Shake aggressively, as it will need broken ice bits. Empty the martini glass of the ice and get ready to pour. Roughly strain the shaken mixture into your glass, allowing broken ice to enter the martini. Garnish with Kasugai gummy candy and enjoy!
Thinking about mixing things up?
Sake is a fantastic beverage. Each brewery and brew has its own story to tell. But drinking it on its own doesn’t have to be the end of it. When done with consideration and understanding, sake cocktail recipes can even highlight or enhance the flavor of the original sake. (If you’re new to sake, a good place to start would be with our Sake Guide lesson, “Best Bottles & Brands for Beginners.”) Whether it’s in a cocktail or on its own, I hope you enjoy your sake! Kampai!
