This brilliant blue cocktail features rum, peach, a splash of blue curacao, and bubbly MIO Sparkling Sake. Embrace the peak of summer (or transport yourself there during the colder months) with this refreshing, effervescent sipper.
I have been partnering with Takara Sake USA for the past couple of years to share fun sake and shochu-based cocktail recipes on Instagram and I’m excited to start sharing my library of sake cocktail recipes here!
What is sparkling sake?
Sho Chiku Bai Shirakabegura MIO Sparkling Sake is a delicious, sweet, mildly floral sake that is great on its own, paired with food, or mixed in simple cocktails like this one. I love to pair it with peach, melon, elderflower, and other floral flavors. And it’s especially good in a spritz with a squeeze of lemon and a splash of high quality club soda.
MIO is made with only rice and koji (an ancient mold also known as Aspergillus oryzae, or A.oryzae). It’s light carbonation is a natural result of the fermentation process. And although MIO has a gentle, fruity, sweetness, there are no sugar or flavors added. The flavor is pure, clean, and a great example of a bright, fruity sake.
MIO Sparkling Sake is 5% ABV, making it the equivalent strength of a glass of beer. It’s best enjoyed between 32 and 41 degrees F and served in a chilled flute. It has aromas of peach, persimmon, and fresh bread with flavors of stone fruits, pear, and baking spice.
Takara Sake describes the beautiful symbolic meaning behind the sparkling sake’s name: “The name MIO, refers to the flow of shallow water and the foam formed from a passing ship. The shallowness and foam are metaphors for the low alcohol contents and carbonation respectively, and name represents our desire to create a new path for sake.“
Sparkling sake is a great alternative to sparkling wines like champagne or prosecco. It works well in classic sparkling wine cocktails like spritzes and French 75s. Here I’ve created a spin on the classic template of the French 75, but I’ve opted to serve it on the rocks, rather than in a flute.
About the ingredients
Rum: You can make this cocktail with any white rum you prefer, but a more mild one such as Plantation 3 Star will allow the flavors of the sparkling sake to shine center stage. I also like to make this with the grassy Copalli white rum or even a funky cachaca! The contrast between the fruity sweetness of the peach and the sake against the more aggressive liquor is top notch.
Peach liqueur: We’re using a very small amount of peach here, so it’s ok to use a less expensive liqueur. However, if you aren’t a fan of artificial peach flavoring, don’t go with a bottle shelf bottle. I like to use Giffard’s Peche de Vigne. Another option is to make your own fresh peach syrup. My recipe requires very little effort and no cooking, but you do have to wait about an hour for the flavors to develop.
Blue curacao: Love it or hate it, blue curacao is a classic bar ingredient. It has a mild (typically artificial) orange flavor and an electric blue color, thanks to food coloring. I always have a bottle of Bols Blue Curacao on hand, but you can also buy the non-alcoholic Blue Curacao Syrup from Cocktail Artist.
This is a handy bottle because it’s available at chains like Wal-Mart, and since it’s booze-free, you can use it to make blue mocktails, too. I haven’t tried it yet, but there is also the Monin Blue Curacao Syrup on Amazon.
Pro tip: Make your own blue syrup by adding a few drops of blue food coloring to simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water). Take it to the next level by making orange oleo saccharum and then adding blue food coloring. This will result in an intensely orange-flavored syrup with a lovely (although a bit dark) blue color.
Lime juice: Always use freshly squeezed lime juice! It makes all the difference.
How to make the cocktail & garnish
Combine the rum, lime juice, and liqueurs in a cocktail shaker and fill it about three quarters with ice. Shake until thoroughly chilled, then strain the liquid into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with a few ounces of ice-cold Mio Sparkling Sake and garnish with a lime twist and a fresh sprig of mint.
This fancy lime twist is much easier than it looks. Simply cut a long piece of citrus peel, trim it to have a point on one end, then roll it and skewer it. Learn exactly how to make this fancy lime twist and many other garnishes in my Guide to Citrus Peel Garnishes!
Get the glassware
I love this set of forest-themed rocks glasses I found on Amazon. Blue drinks make the perfect sky against the silhouetted trees! Find these and more interesting glassware on my top Amazon picks.
You may also enjoy these other blue cocktails:
Blue Skies Ahead (Sparkling Sake Cocktail)
Ingredients
- 1 oz white rum
- ½ oz lime juice
- ¼ oz peach liqueur (I used Giffard Peche de Vigne)
- ¼ oz blue curacao (I used Bols)
- 3-4 oz MIO Sparkling Sake
Instructions
- Combine the first four ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill it about 3/4 with ice.
- Shake until chilled, then strain the liquid into a rocks glass filled with ice.
- Top with chilled MIO Sparkling Sake and garnish with a lime twist and a sprig of mint.