Saketini
A sake martini is only as good as the sake you use. Now is not the moment to dig the bottle you can’t even remember buying from the back of the fridge. Something light, fruity, floral, and meant for sipping is the move. Sake is classified in part by the amount of polishing done to its headlining ingredient, rice. The varieties available in the US range from affordable table sakes called Futsushu to top-shelf Daiginjo. The best sake for any cocktail recipe is one you like to drink; for a saketini, try an aromatic Junmai Ginjo, which tends to be fresh and dry and has savory undertones that complement dry vermouth. Sake has a lower alcohol content than gin, which makes most of the balance of a classic martini, so this drink is less boozy than its forebears.
It’s versatile too. Muddle a cucumber slice in your cocktail shaker before adding ice, and swap the gin for vodka to make a cucumber saketini. Instead of sake, try shochu, the Japanese spirit distilled from grains or vegetables. Substitute lychee liqueur for the vermouth to make a sake-lychee martini; garnish it with a skewered lychee. Serve your saketini in a Nick & Nora or any stemmed cocktail glass in your cupboard. To quickly chill glassware, fill with ice water while you prep the drinks.
Recipe information
Total Time
5 minutes
Yield
Makes 2 cocktails
Ingredients
Preparation
Fill a tall mixing glass with ice. Pour in 4 oz. sake, 1 oz. gin, and 1 oz. dry vermouth; add a pinch of kosher salt. Stir continuously for 1 minute, until very cold. Strain into two chilled martini glasses or coupes; garnish with lemon twists.
Editor’s note: This saketini replaces an earlier version of the drink, which appeared in ‘Gourmet’ April 1986. Our updated version highlights the sake instead of downplaying it. Head this way for more of our favorite spring cocktails →
