This is the summer of sake in London – and about time too. I had been under the misguided impression that all sake was rough and intensely boozy, the type of drink one hocks back as a dare. However, despite a fairly high alcohol percentage, sake is relatively low in acidity and has a graceful softness when sipped. It is a delightful revelation.
Kioku Bar in The OWO is a relaxed and welcoming spot of warm honey-coloured wood, designed in the style of a traditional Japanese listening bar, where drinks are served to a sound track. Indeed, Sommelier Anthony Yukio was as attentive to the vinyl playing as he was to us as he selected music and recommended bottles to try from their range of over 135 sakes.
The menu is divided into themes such as “Bubbles and Clouds”, where we began with a glass of Shichiken sparkling sake, “I always recommend this for beginners” explains Yukio “as it is totally different to what they are expecting”. It is fresh, floral and surprisingly delicate at a lower 12 per cent alcohol. With favourites offered by the glass, this is the ideal place for both novices and long-term lovers of sake and Japanese spirits.
When it comes to this drink polishing levels are key – this means the amount the rice used to make the beverage has been polished down. The more it has been polished, typically the more premium and expensive it is but importantly this should not be taken as defining quality, but more defining style. The more the rice is polished down, and therefore the less rice is left, the more floral and fruitier the wine will taste, whereas less polishing will result in a more earthy, savoury drink.
A quality that sets sake apart from other beverages is the umami flavour, which makes it excellent for food pairing
A quality that sets sake apart from other beverages is the umami flavour, which makes it excellent for food pairing, something that is being strongly embraced by London’s food scene. Soho’s Inko Nito is an ideal place for a quick sake hit offering a small list by glass, carafe and bottle as well as a dangerously good Ichigo negroni which mixes plum sake with gin and Campari. Their express menu at £27 includes a range of dishes such as their Japanese breadcrumbed fried chicken with a chilli garlic yoghurt and roasted pork belly with soy kabosu, enjoyed while watching the chefs at work around the central grill.
Clap, a modern Japanese restaurant that opened earlier this year buzzes with its bright and beautiful clientele enjoying cocktails and sharing plates while overlooking the rooftops of Knightsbridge. The mushroom and wagyu beef gyoza stopped all talk at the table and I would return for this dish alone but my top tip here is to be bold and go off-menu. For those in the know you can ask for a sake flight from the sommelier and three small glasses arrive, each subtly different to the last but all exceedingly good. Here, sake knows how to party!
The list goes on: Wagamama has added sake to their menu, The Aubrey at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park has launched their own sake in collaboration with Tascuchida Sake Brewery, and even the traditional Berry Bros & Rudd have moved into the sake sphere with an En Primeur sake offer, something no wine merchant has done before. According to their data, sake sales for March 2024 were nearly ten times those of 2023. It is certainly having a moment.
For those wanting to try a tipple at home I would start with something like Sparkling Junmai Ginjo (£16.50, thewhiskyexchange.com) a subtly soft, peachy light fizz. A delicate floral option is the Dewazakura Shuzo, Oka, Gingo (£32, Berry Bros & Rudd), and to try a still premium style, the Junmai Daiginjo Genshu (£46.99, Amazon) is a riot of honeydew melon, ripe lemon and green herbs and is ideal served well chilled with seafood. Let your summer of sake commence!
Wine of the week
Champagne Bollinger PN VZ19, £110, Hedonism
Bollinger will always hold a special place in my heart. I love their preference for Pinot Noir and the typically longer aging times that create a richer, more opulent style of Champagne. This new cuvée is a triumph once again, using solely Pinot Noir grapes, mainly from the 2019 vintage but blended with reserve wines dating back to 2009. Bolly is a safe pair of hands for skilful elegance at its finest.
Weyborne Family Estate Reserve 2018, £48, weyborne.com
The 2018 vintage was an absolute winner in England and sparklings from that year are always a treat. Weyborne is situated at the source of River Wey in West Sussex and this limited release classic cuvée shows the year and region to best advantage with this delightfully delicious effervescent wine.
Ixsir Grande Reserve Rosé 2023, £29.50, The Great Wine Company
A totally more-ish rosé from a leading winery of Lebanon, this is a stylish, textured blend of Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Syrah. Powerfully pure fruit is rounded with rustic floral notes and hints of white pepper spice. Serve well chilled in the sunshine this summer or pair with crudité, charcuterie and canapés.
Luna Gaia Logistilla Nerello Mascalese 2022, £14.75, vintageroots.co.uk
Not a bottle I would usually pick up, which just goes to show that one should never judge by appearances. An indiginous grape from the volcanic slopes of Etna, this biodynamic wine is packed full of rich fruit flavour with a succulent, rustic intensity that is still able to remain graceful and balanced.
Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc 2020, £59.99, Majestic
The fashions and fads of wine are never ending but riding high over all the pitfalls of trend is Cloudy Bay and this their most iconic and unusual interpretation of Sauvignon Blanc. Breaking the mould for Marlborough Savvy B, this premium wine is aged in oak making a more serious, complex drink.
Zephyr Pinot Gris 2022, £21.90, Noble Green Wines
A dry Pinot Gris from New Zealand’s Marlborough this manages to be crisp and fresh while retaining all the grape’s beautiful aromatics and generosity of flavour. Overlapping stone and orchard fruit notes are underpinned by bright, clean citrus and result in a wonderfully food friendly wine for the summer.