Yanagi – The hottest drink of the summer: chilled premium sake

It’s been years since we started paving the way for sake to become a thing in Ibiza. Other cities have had a head start, with sake bars popping up in New York, London and Paris. An increasingly popular alternative to wine and to be enjoyed in the same way, served chilled in a wine glass, sake displays a broad range of flavours that manage to complement the textures and aromas of a wide variety of foods, from fish to meat, and vegetables to cheese. That’s why not only is sake becoming sought after publicly, also sommeliers at high-end restaurants worldwide are recurring to sake for more exciting combinations.

Of course sake make a great companion to sashimi or even a piece of grilled wagyu beef, but sake’s versatility is such that it pairs with Northern European and Mediterranean cuisine too.

Ibiza being a melting pot of all types of cultures, cuisines and influences from around the world, sake has really made it’s mark and has become the drink of the summer.

At Vino&Co, whether it comes to our wines or the dishes we serve at our Wine Bar, we love to let the ingredients shine. Hence why this month we have decided to create a classic dish of pear, salty ham and savoury Roquefort cheese and pair it with a bomb of a sake.

Meet Yanagi, new this year to our collection, an outstanding Junmai Ginjo, and a masterpiece from brewery Tsuki No Katsura in Kyoto. Pure elegance created with the best quality sake rice and purest water, this sake is light bodied but bursting with flavour and so easy to enjoy. Fruity aromas and flavours such as strawberry, banana, pear, cucumber and citrics are met with a pleasing minerality and a touch of vanilla.

This sake pairs ridiculously well with the dish as it contrasts with the strong saltiness of the ham, melting away the fats and the umami in the cheese deepens the flavour of both.

Come and enjoy this exciting combination of classic meets exotic, Monday to Friday at Vino&Co, or give it a try at home.