Blog

One of our favorite claim-to-fames here at Yamashiro is our plethora of tasty cocktails—The Minty Peach Press, Hibiscus Blossom, Lychee Martini, and, of course, the Moscow Mule (just to name a few!). We cannot go with out boasting of our resident bartenders’ enigmatic skills at perfecting these refreshing little concoctions, nor can we ignore our wide variety of beverage options we offer our guests. This week, we would like to highlight a beverage a little different from the rest—Sake!

Sake, also sometimes known as “rice wine,” is a Japanese alcoholic beverage created from fermented rice. It is not necessarily a wine, however, nor a beer or spirit. In a category of its own, sake is created when rice is milled down until mostly own starch remains. It is then further fermented into sugar, and then even further fermented into alcohol. This is similar to the creation of beer, but instead of the starch breakdown being caused by enzymes, it is broken down from a special mold. It may remain a little cloudy from the grain particles (like our Nigori), but a majority of sake is filtered until clear like a spirit. This maturing process takes between 9 to 12 months, and the result is a smooth, rich flavor.

Sake can be served hot or cold, be sipped on, or even be taken shots of (with an ensuing warm and delicious night!). Here at Yamashiro, we have six outstanding flavor options for sake lovers including Clean (refreshing and crisp), Aromatic (floral and fruity), Flavorful (traditional and robust), Nigori (unfiltered and cloudy), Hot Sake, and Ultra Premium (Mt Chokai—pinnacle of sake brewers).

Sake is an interesting and fun change of pace when it comes to enjoying a beverage with dinner, or even to unwind after a long day of work on a warm LA evening. Sake enthusiasts and even those new to the sake world will find a new favorite from within the Yamashiro walls—we think it’s time to come to happy hour or pay a visit to the Pagoda Bar to see what it's all about!