When temperatures rise, nothing refreshes like … sake? Wait, sake in the summer? Isn’t that a hot drink? “Everybody thinks they’re hot drinks, but in reality there are different temperatures for each sake,” says Eddie Perales, General Manager of Beverage at Westgate Las Vegas. “The range goes from cold all the way to extremely hot.”
Perales explains that sake isn’t one type of drink, but rather a complex beverage as versatile as wine. Westgate’s Bar Sake offers some selections perfect for summer sipping. “We have some really cool and trendy sakes at Bar Sake, specifically the Tykus,” he says. Distilled in Nara, Japan, Tyku is billed as the “clean alternative to wine,” a low-acid beverage free of glutens, sulfites and tannins.
During hot months, Perales recommends the Tyku Cucumber Nigori and the Tyku Coconut Nigori (each $13 per glass or $21 per bottle). Perales describes the nigori variety as “silky, milky, creamy kind of lucious sweet, with a strong rice wine flavor profile.”
Bar Sake also offers a variety of sake-infused cocktails. Try the Japanese Daisy ($13), which mixes Chamucos Tequila and Tyku Cucumber Sake with a touch of sweet & sour. The Strawberry Coconut Mojito ($13) combines the Tyku’s cucumber and coconut sakes for a sweet twist on the Cuban favorite. And for a refreshing, bubbly experience, try the Mio Sparkling Sake ($21 per bottle), reminiscent of a sweet champagne. Of course, just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you have to go cold. Order Gekkeikan CA ($15 per bottle) to satisfy that hot sake fix.
BAR SAKE & ROBATA GRILL Westgate Las Vegas, 702-732-5755. Daily, 5-10 p.m.
