How to Enjoy Sake on Christmas Day
🎼Christmas time, mistletoe and…sake?🎼
There are many drinks that come to mind when you think of Christmas Day. Sake probably isn’t one of them. We want to challenge that perception - so if you celebrate Christmas, here’s our ultimate guide on ‘How to Enjoy Sake on Christmas Day.’
Christmas Morning - Sparkling Rosé
So you’ve woken up in your festive pyjamas, ready to open presents and hoping for no lumps of coal in your stocking. Now what? Pour yourself a glass of Sparkling Rosé to accompany the joyful and bubbly atmosphere of Christmas morning. The lower ABV, subtle sweetness and fizz of this special sake is the perfect way to start the festivities without knocking your socks off! If you are feeling even more daring, try our twist on a Bucks Fizz by adding an ounce of orange juice.
Winter Stroll - Mai Spiced Sake
Recently mentioned on our Instagram, a warming cup of spiced sake can be the perfect accompaniment for a chilly winter stroll. Our Mai Spiced Sake incorporates Christmassy flavours of cinnamon and star anise by steeping a chai tea bag into warmed sake for a few minutes. We would recommend using our Sadaijin Junmai for this recipe, as it encapsulates the spiced nature of the tea, without losing its own unique and moreish character. Abandon your mulled wine and pour yourself a cup of this instead! Check out our Instagram post for the easy process, and our blog post for a guide to heat your sake.
Christmas Dinner - Dragon of Oshu, Ultra Dry Junmai, EIKUNholic
To accompany the variety of foods eaten during Christmas dinner, we’ve suggested a range of Mai Sake. For your rich, oily dishes (and gravies), Dragon of Oshu provides a silky smoothness and flavourful profile to each sip, helping to complement the tastes as opposed to fighting with them (after all, we want a peaceful Christmas).
Ultra Dry Junmai offers a deliciously dry palate cleanser that can cut through rich salty foods like pigs-in-blankets. That said, this Ultra Dry Junmai is not a one-trick pony - its subtle minerality and hint of fruitiness can also accentuate the more delicate flavours on your dining table, such as herb-roasted vegetables and turkey.
Finally, a juicy showstopper akin to sauvignon blanc - we have our EIKUNholic. With deliciously zesty notes of pineapple and citrus, served chilled this sake can work magic with a range of savoury foods. From creamy bread sauce (don’t bash it until you’ve tried it) and roasted brussel sprouts, to the cheese board, this sake is an icon waiting to be served.
Dessert & Winding Down
If you are looking for a sake to sip as you wind down from the chaos and merriment of the day, Sadaijin Junmai 24 Year Old will keep you good company. Beautifully aged notes of caramel and sweet dried fruits make this a particularly indulgent treat for special occasions - to be enjoyed with robust blue cheese, or on its own in a digestif glass (extra points if you are by the fireplace smoking a pipe in your slippers). With a profile similar to a dry style of sherry, you may even convert the grandparents to sake-lovers with this special bottle!
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So stay off the naughty list, and enjoy a very merry sip-mas this year with our Christmas Day guide!
