Nothing says summer like a delicious cocktail filled with sweet flavors. If you’re planning a summer soiree or bartending at a private party, now’s the perfect time to wow people with new drinks on the menu. Get the sunny party started with these crowd-pleasing concoctions.

What Is Sake?

Sake, or Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage derived from fermented rice. It’s a gluten-free ingredient that you can add to recipes and cocktails. The alcohol content usually ranges from 13%-17%. It has a transparent color, a pure taste and a distinct flavor. 

Sake is also nutrient-rich, containing 18 amino acids, multivitamins, polyphenols and short peptides. Over 1,500 factories in Japan brew sake, including the most famous companies Kiku-Masamune in Kobe and Gekkeikan in Kyoto.

5 Sake Cocktails for a Successful Summer Soirée

Encourage people to hang out at your bar and cool down this summer with these fresh sake cocktails.

Summer Sake Sangria

Ditch the classic red sangria and replace it with this summer-ready recipe. It’s inexpensive, flavored with summer fruits and an ultimate crowd-pleaser. Feel free to make it your own — add ginger ale or other fruits to elevate your drink.

Ingredients:

• 1 nectarine, pitted and sliced
• 1 red pear, cored and sliced
• 1 plum, pitted and sliced
• 1/4 vanilla vodka
• 750 ml of Japanese sake

Instructions:

1. Place cleaned and sliced fruits, sake and vodka in a pitcher. Stir together.
2. Allow the flavors of fruits and sake to soak for at least eight hours.
3. Serve in a tall thick glass or a footed glass with ice.

Raspberry Sake Tea Cocktail

This flavorful treat is ideal if your guests prefer something refreshing and light. The combination of raspberry, tea and a splash of sake complements the sunny weather. The raspberry sake tea cocktail will excite your and your guests’ taste buds.

Ingredients:

• 5 raspberry flavored tea bags
• 1/2 gallon water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 750 ml sake, but feel free to adjust accordingly

Instructions:

1. Pour water into a large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add the tea bags, then turn off the heat. Allow it to steep.
3. Remove the tea bags and add sugar. Stir until dissolved.
4. Pour into a pitcher and wait until it reaches room temperature.
5. Let it cool in the refrigerator.
6. Stir in the sake and fresh ice before serving.
7. Offer fresh raspberries on the side or mixed in the glasses.

Cherry Bomb

A Cherry Bomb is a sweet and refreshing concoction that’s fun and easy to make. It contains Sho Chiku Bai Nigori Sake, a creamy and sweet dessert-type of sake, making it a perfect addition to your drink. If you’re feeling adventurous, make your cherry syrup at home.  

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Sho Chiku Bai Nigori Sake
• 3/4 oz cherry syrup
• Ice cubes
• MIO Sparkling sake
• 2 dashes bitters

Instructions:

1. Pour an appropriate amount of ice into the cocktail shaker.
2. Add sake, bitters and cherry syrup. Shake thoroughly.
3. Strain the concoction into an ice-filled glass.
4. Top with MIO sparkling sake.

Sake Sour

If you love whiskey sour’s sweetness, sake sour is the perfect drink for your manly menu. It is smooth and has a lower alcohol content than the traditional whiskey sour. The blend of sake’s delicate flavors and citrus fruits will surely satisfy any palette, making it a lovely drink for all types of drinkers.

Ingredients: 

• 2 2/3 fl oz Akashi-Tai Daiginjo Genshu sake
• 1/6 fl oz lemon juice
• 1/4 fl oz lime juice
• 1/4 fl oz pasteurized egg white or Aquafaba 
• 1/3 fl oz sugar syrup

Instructions:

1. Fill all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Swap pasteurized egg white with Aquafaba if serving to people with an egg allergy or intolerance.
2. Shake gently with ice.
3. Strain into a chilled Coupe glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

Morning Glory

Bring a delicious spin to the classic. The Morning Glory cocktail offers a refreshing mix of apple, cucumber, lemon and ginger. It provides multivitamins and fiber, making it ideal for health-conscious guests who still want to have a blast.

 Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Sho Chiku Bai Organic Nama Sake
• 1/2 oz Italics Liqueur
• 3 ounces of cucumber, gold-pressed spinach, lemon, apple and ginger juice
• 1/2 ounce verjus
• 1 dash Fuji Bitters
• Grated nutmeg for garnish
• Sliced cucumbers for garnish

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients — except garnishes — in a cocktail shaker.
2. Strain your drink if you prefer a smoother consistency. Leave it as is if a guest wants to maximize the fiber benefits of the ingredients.
3. Garnish with nutmeg and cucumber slices, if desired.

Shake Your Way to a Fun-Filled Summer Soirée

Whether hosting your own party or serving as a bartender for a summer soirée, these sake drinks will surely please everyone’s palette. Sake is a healthy and fun ingredient to experiment with in your bar, so unleash your creativity and tweak these recipes to make it uniquely yours. Which of the following recipes are you most excited to try out?

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