Saketini

More About This Recipe

• If you're totally over the usual backyard bbq, sushi and saketinis can be a perfect summer party fun saver.
  
  Always happens. About halfway through summer, my friends and I start to get really bbq'd out (and whiney, actually). Suddenly charcoals, grills and just cooking in general all seem to be daunting tasks. That's when the "eclectic" (aka: easy) ideas start rolling out. One that always gets a unanimous vote is: Sushi!
  
  Now even though my cooking skills are solid enough to make a lot of interesting things, I have yet to become the sushi jedi master. That's where store bought or pick-up from the neighborhood sushi place comes in real handy. So to compensate, and show at least some effort, I'll load up on sake and give it a little swank by making a Saketini. It's the perfect companion to a sushi spread.
  
  Just like any martini, it's all about the measurement. Sake has quite a bit of alcohol, so you definitely need to keep your wits about you when mixing these up. If you're new to the sake world, check out nybarfly's awesome Guide to Sake. He is your sake sherpa for all the basics you need to know about this fabulous liquor.
  
  For one martini, simply mix 1 ounce of gin with 1/4 to a 1/2 ounce of sake and a splash of vermouth in a chilled shaker. I like to use a nigori sake, as it's slightly sweeter than others. Then pour into a martini glass and garnish with something sweet like lychee fruit or, my favorite, honeydew melon. If you let the melon sit and soak up the nigori, it's like a little post-tini treat. Also, if you aren't a die-hard martini sipper and want to cut the alcohol taste a little, pour a splash of the melon juice into your glass. It's absolutely delicious!