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“Ask Beau” – “I’m gearing up for New Year’s Eve and I was thinking about doing sparkling sakes this year. Any suggestions?”

Ummmmmm Yah! I have a ton of suggestions, but let me be the first to compliment you on being a genius Scott H. from Tucson, AZ. How smart are you for having the “bubbly” on the 31st? Pretty darn smart. Sparkling sake is such a fun segment these days and the offerings are very tasty!

Here’s how I would play it! I’d go to our Sparkling Sake Section at the website. I would peruse the offerings and if any bottle “looks the part” then I’d go for it! Just by looks? Yes! We have a store policy – we would never sell a sake that looks good but doesn't drink good! (sorry I wrote the store policy when I was 7). Meaning if we sell it it’s worth drinking. And guess what? Looks do matter sometimes!

Upon further inspection you will see that most of the sparkling sakes are 300ml. This is both a bummer and a blessing! Why a blessing? Well sometimes when you don’t feel like drinking an entire bottle of sparkling sake a smaller bottle does better. On the flip side when you do want a whole bottle you don’t have that many selections. Well, let’s just make due! Here is what I would do if I was with a group of four folks for New Years Eve.

First I would get wonderful “champagne” flutes! Really cool ones that are tall and narrow. (Sparkling Sake does great in tall flutes as they enhance the bubble output, aroma, and highlight the touch of sweetness on the tip of your tongue.) Then I would get some really fun cheese and dried meat offerings, some pates, some dried fruits, and some naughty desserts. (Champagne fair) And then I would dip into the following Sparkling Sakes in this order:

Ichinokura Suzune “Chiming Bells”

  • Probably the best sparking sake made! So why not start with the best and get the evening started of right.

Gokyo Ne Ne “Five Bridges”

  • Now we say hello to a fatter and more full bubbly in our glass, with layers and layers of rich and profoundly sweet attitudes.

Ninki Ichi “Natural”

  • Now we need to tighten up the party, and this brew is tight and crisp and bright with fruity flavors. Clean and dry!

Hakkaisan “Sparkling 8”

  • Okay! Now we need a brew to bring us home! To bring us into the new year! To take us to merry town. And since this bottle is 720ml you can bring it out on the deck or to the hot tub! (In fact I’d get two just to make sure that it’s a very special New Year’s Eve.)

That is what I would do for New Year’s Eve to make a sparkling splash! And remember the headaches are less severe with sake than with Champagne or cheap sparkling wine! So get your flute on this 31st!

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