Last night a small group of Qypers and London foodie bloggers attended a very exclusive sake, shochu and sushi tasting event that was co-hosted by Akashi-Tai brewery and held at recently opened Tsuru, a recently-opened Japanese restaurant in Southwark near the Tate Modern.
Learning, eating, and drinking. Three of my all-time favourite things! All being done at the same time! Brilliant! I was happy as clam, so happy I could almost hear the Sound of Music soundtrack streaming in the distance…either that or I was subconsciously humming it to myself… possible, and scary in retrospect.
Round 1:
The evening began the way the best evenings usually do. With cocktails! We were given the choice of Tokiwa Rhubarb Fizz (shochu, rhubarb puree I believe, simple syrup, soda and mint) and Kappa Saketini (shochu, sake, and a cucumber slice). The rhubarb fizz was lovely; light-bodied and rose-coloured, with a slight tanginess reminiscent of summer afternoons… on a front porch …overlooking a garden perhaps. It’s so drinkable that it’s dangerous. That I didn’t get the recipe is part blessing, part curse.
Completely different yet just as intriguing was the cucumber-flavoured saketini. I only sampled the saketini (twice) because I’m not the biggest fan of cucumbers, so although it was tasty and as refreshing as you’d expect a cucumber cocktail to be I stuck with the fruitier rhubarb concoction. Servings of chilli-sprinkled and edamame were brought out and devoured at what was surely a record-breaking pace. Great way to start the night.
Round 2:
We then took our seats to hear from both co-sponsors of the event about the good things that were to come next. A pairing of Carpaccio of Seabass with not one, but two chilled sakes. The seabass was exquisite. Fresh, delicate, and just the right temperature to truly appreciate the flavour of the fish (call me crazy but it drives me mad when sushi/sashimi is served too cold!). 
This was first paired with Akashi-Tai’s Daiginjo, a cold sake with a light-to-medium flowery start and dry finish. My untrained palette did not pick up on the lemony flavours described by our host Wakana, but once we moved onto the second sake the difference in body and flavour helped to distinguish the first all the more. We were then treated to the award-winning Junmai Daiginjo. This variety’s more pronounced citrus undertones and smoother finish made it a clear favourite of the group. Apparently this second variety is less familiar to the Japanese palette but has been doing very well in exports to the European and North American markets.
Round 3:
Our hosts at Tsuru then served Nasu Dengaku, broiled Japanese eggplant with a sweet miso paste on top, simple and delicious, and well paired with warm Akashi-Tai Honjozo. I realized, however, that I preferred cold sake so I opted for more Junmai Daiginjo.
Round 4:
Genmai aged sake served with free-range chicken yakitori skewers. Akashi-Tai experimented with using brown rice rather than polished white rice for this sake, and when it was originally produced, it was no winner. But that was back in 2002. Fast-forward to 2008 and the years of aging have turned it into something truly innovative and pleasing. The warm honey coloured sake has lingering hints of caramel and cocoa and should be considered comfort food in my book. I can easily imagine pairing it with dessert as an alternative. (Apologies in advance if that breaks any rules of sake drinking!)
Round 5:
Just when I thought we were nearing the end of the tasting we were presented with large sushi platters of hamachi, tuna, shrimp and other assorted pieces. 
Our last sake experience of the night with this course was the Honjozo Genshu, a distinctly creamier sake that had a sort of oakiness in aroma and taste that I found to be a perfect finale to the evening.
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