Our Love Letter To The End Of Summer

Summer may be on its way out, with the leaves falling, and we pause at the door to consider whether or not we will need a jacket. But the sunshine vibes can still live on in our hearts (and glasses) with our simple watermelon sake trick.

The combination of watermelon and sake isn’t particularly new, and the internet already offers plenty of delicious recipes for punches, slushies, and even an entire watermelon infused with sake (we have to give credit for the Cirque du Soleil balancing act going on in this photo). And for good reason! Watermelon and sake seriously works.

Whilst our sake spritzer is definitely our summer icon, the watermelon sake combo is still a show stopper. There are plenty of fantastic recipes on the internet, so we will keep it simple:

A glass with scoops of watermelon submerged in sake. That’s it.

The best part?

There is no ‘one size fits all’ sake and different types can change your experience with watermelon.

To help break it down, here are a few sake profiles, along with what you can expect from the combo.

Ginjo/Daiginjo - The delicate and aromatic characteristics of these types of sake can complement the light notes of watermelon, giving you a very smooth and enjoyable drink.

Nigorizake - With remaining lees, this type of sake tends to have a slightly sweet, creaminess to it. These qualities make it a go-to choice for integrating into thicker cocktails (such as this twist on an espresso martini). Poured over watermelon, a nigorizake would offer a more luxurious sipping experience, combining the rich mouthfeel of the drink with the refreshing sweetness of the fruit.

Koshu - Now we are going truly into unknown territory. Rich deep notes of nuts, caramel, aged fruits and soy-sauce umami may overpower the delicate nature of the watermelon slices, however snacking on the koshu-soaked watermelon pieces at the end sounds dreamy.

Our recommendation: our Summer Eikun - a seasonal sake produced by Eikun Brewery is our top pick to pour over a watermelon-slice-filled glass. Notes of nashi pear and fruit rind give a delicious hint of acidity to perfectly complement the delicate saccharinity of the fruit.

This refreshing pairing is our love letter to the end of the summer, but we will be covering our favourite autumnal sakes soon - stay tuned!