Sake was an acquired taste for me, mainly because most of what I tried sucked. But that opinion changed as I expanded my horizons into sparkling sakes and smoother, more approachable versions (and spent some money – cheap ones are the nastiest). Sake is often described as “rice wine,” but it’s actually a grain-fermented beverage like beer. However, it tastes closer to wine and most aren’t carbonated. (Click here for a sake primer).
Bamboozle Cafe in downtown Tampa, who recently (and thankfully) opened for dinner, serves an Asian twist on the popular, mint-infused rum mojito. It works… really well. They manage to make a sweet and tart sake cocktail that melds with the fragrant, earthy goodness that sake yields. Yum.
$6.50 per glass and worth every penny.
Looking to learn more about this beverage? Check out esake.com or sake-world.com.
This article appears in Aug 19-25, 2009.
