Expanding choices in sake bring more devotees to versatile beverage

Larry "Smokey" Genta believes sake is the beverage of the future.

The range of sakes available and the vast number of ways it can be enjoyed are the reasons Blu Sushi's managing director thinks the brewed rice product is rapidly gaining popularity in the United States. And it's why Blu — which has restaurants in Fort Myers, Estero and Naples — devotes an entire menu to sake.

"It used to be you only had two choices: a big pot or a little pot," served hot, Mr. Genta says. That's no longer the case.

Blu offers sake hot and cold, domestic or Japanese, infused, mixed into a cocktail and as a bomb (more on that later). And Blu is not the only place doing that. USS Nemo in Naples has a sake menu and offers sake flights. Aura, in the Naples Grande resort, has a sake bar. Other restaurants, including Kumo in Cape Coral and Sushi Thai in Naples, are offering broader selections of sake, too.

It's a good alternative for smaller restaurants that don't have liquor licenses, says Stephane Plante, manager of USS Nemo. "Our menu has a strong Japanese influence, so for us, sake is a natural choice for many customers," he adds.

Larry Genta, managing director, Blu Sushi Who's drinking sake?

"We have a lot of customers who travel around the world and like to try something different," says Mr. Plante.

Frequent travelers are among those sipping sake at Blu as well. "It's definitely a new drinker… a flexible drinker," Mr. Genta says.

Although most people start with hot sake, many discover sakes served cold have much more refined flavors, and there's more variety.

But a lot of people who don't like the hot version never go on to experiment with the cold varieties. Mr. Genta says one way to

persuade such customers to give sake another chance is with infused varieties (a popular one is the Moonstone Coconut Lemongrass) or saketinis, which blend sake with flavors such as baked apple, lychee

or pear.

The most popular drink at USS Nemo, says Mr. Plante, is a green apple martini made with sake. "A good drink for an afternoon in the sun is a pear martini," he adds. "We juice a pear, add some plum wine and sake, and serve it straight up so the flavor is not diluted by ice."

JIM MCCRACKEN / FLORIDA WEEKLY Sake Bombs: setup for drink with sake shot balanced on chopsticks over beer. Pairing sake with food is similar to choosing a wine, says Mr. Plante. "Select a sake to complement your choice of food." He suggests Daiginjo Wakatake, a premium Japanese brand, with USS Nemo's miso sea bass or peppercorn crusted tuna. "For a lighter dish, we recommend a papaya-or appleflavored cocktail."

Sake, although brewed from rice rather than fermented from grapes, is much like wine in that ingredients and the way it is processed play vital roles in the taste. The preparation of the rice and the addition of small amounts of alcohol to some types affect the flavor. The more the grain of rice is polished, the closer you get to the heart of the rice, and the better the quality.

Premium types of sake served cold include ginjo and daiginjo, which include a small amount of alcohol, and junmai, which is made without any added alcohol. The junmai sakes are more robust and full-flavored, and retain more rice flavor. These pair better with richer foods. Wine aficionados may appreciate the lighter more delicate flavors of daiginjo sake. The crisp clean finish pairs well with sashimi and sushi, as well as other delicately flavored dishes.

USS Nemo offers a "sake cruise" so customers can taste three types side-by-side as they do with wine flights.

Blu Sushi offers sake in another form that Mr. Genta says is attracting fans in much the same way as tequila and Jagermeister gained ground: the sake bomb, a shot of sake balanced atop a set of chopsticks set horizontally over a beer glass. Once all the shots are in place, celebrants karate-chop the table, the chopsticks move, the shot tips over, spilling some into the glass and some onto the table, and everyone downs their drinks.

"What will get sake into the mainstream is the celebratory shot," Mr. Genta predicts. "We all want to click glasses."

Wine picks of the week

>>Pillar Box Red 2006: Mostly shiraz with cabernet sauvignon and some merlot, this purplehued Aussie selection is full-bodied with black cherry, blueberry and black raspberry flavors. About $12.

>>Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon Jack London Vineyard 2005: With a dark garnet color and powerful bouquet of plum and black cherry and flavors of blackberry and cherry, refined tannins and lingering finish. About $40.

>>Mount Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2007: This New Zealand wine has fresh grapefruit and mineral aromas, and crisp lemon-lime flavors with a dry finish. About $18.