This Cucumber Saketini has become one of my absolute favorite cocktails. It's smooth and easy to drink but quite boozy, with vodka, sake, and a hint of muddled cucumber.
Inspiration for this Cucumber Saketini
On February 13th 2020, one month before Covid hit New York City, my fiancé and I celebrated Valentine's Day a day early at BONDST, a Japanese-inspired restaurant lounge in lower Manhattan. It was swanky and expensive, perfect for couples looking to avoid the Valentine crowd that would overtake the city's restaurant scene the next evening.
The food was very good, the flavors complex and interesting, but the most memorable part of the food and beverage experience was, undoubtedly, the Sake Cocktail. I remember taking a sip and immediately reacting with a subtle gasp and "woah".
It was delightfully smooth, crisp, and boozy. Simple, yet thoughtful. It made me dance in my seat. After three of these tinis, some tasty shared plates, fun conversation, and very pretty people watching, we were ready to bar hop.
When Covid hit, I often attempted to re-create some of my favorite restaurant cocktails from the safety of my own home. Maybe I could create a version of this delicious cocktail that would momentarily take me back to last Valentine's day, like smelling sunscreen in January. Thus the Cucumber Saketini was born.
Cucumber Saketini Ingredients
As I mentioned earlier, there are only 3 ingredients in this delicious boozy Cucumber Saketini:
- Vodka
- Sake
- Fresh cucumber
The Vodka
My favorite vodkas are Ketel One, Reyka, and Supergay. I find them to be smooth and drinkable, perfect for martinis or any vodka-forward drink.
The Sake
Sake, as it's known here in the U.S., is sometimes defined as "Japanese Rice Wine". It is an alcohol made from fermented rice. However, sake is a fairly broad term, since there are so many different kinds of sake with varying flavor profiles, ABV, mouthfeel, etc.
I'm fairly new to the world of Sake, but I have enjoyed most of the ones I've tried. This Black and Gold Sake by Gekkeikan Sake is currently stocking my bar cart. It's delicious, with soft, floral taste that I wish I could describe further. Their website can help with that.
The sake in the photo above, Yukikage, is also delicious and works so well in this cocktail. If you've never drank sake before, this cocktail is a great way to start. Though this sake cocktail recipe has more vodka than sake, 2 parts vodka: 1 part sake, the sake really shines.
The Cucumber
The cucumber makes this cocktail really soft and refreshing. Muddle a few slices for the drink then garnish with another slice or 2.
Instructions
Making this Cucumber Saketini couldn't be easier. Watch the tutorial below!
Lighter variations
If you like these flavors but want something with a lower ABV, you can serve it two other ways:
- On the rocks topped with plain seltzer.
- Add 1 part water (or more) to the recipe.
More Cocktails from On the Bias
I love making flavorful cocktails for my friends and family. They're usually pretty strong, sometimes citrusy, always flavorful, and never overly sweet.
Cucumber Saketini Recipe
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Cucumber Saketini
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cocktail, martini
- Method: cocktail, shaken
- Cuisine: Japanese
Description
A smooth, swanky, and boozy martini with soft flavors of cucumber and sake.
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka (We're a Ketel One household)
- 1 oz sake. I was gifted this Gekkeikan Sake recently, and it is lovely.
- 4 thick slices of cucumber for muddling. 1 thin slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker muddle 3 cucumber slices very well, so they release a lot of cucumber juice and flavor.
- Add the vodka, sake, and a few ice cubes, cover, and shake for 20 seconds.
- Strain into a martini glass and garnish with another slice of cucumber.
Keywords: Cucumber Saketini, sake cocktail
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