QUALITALY

FEB. MAR. 2017

story and preparation. I’ve been a

fan of Asian cuisine for a long time

because it fascinates me, especially

rice, I find it an incredible food.

Consequently, I started to study

also Sake and, when I saw the 2017

Sake Master competition I decided

to participate. I would say that there

were different coincidences which

came together. The important thing is

to focus on the subject, know it well,

understand what the competition

itself requires and assess the jury,

and try to conquer it with new and

creative ideas.

HOW DO YOU COMPETE WITH

THE BIG INDUSTRY NAMES?

Considering each of the competitors

gives their maximum, I believe it

is essential to focus on your work

trying to offer the best of your

creativity. In events such as these,

where participants are qualified and

are all professionals, there is also

an exchange of information and a

reciprocal comparison. All this helps

the growth of each everyone.

WHAT ARE THE 4 OBJECTS

OR INGREDIENTS WHICH ARE

ALWAYS PRESENT ON YOUR

BAR? WHY ARE THEY SO

INDISPENSABLE TO YOU?

Absolutely the welcome and

cheerfulness. They are fundamental

to create the right atmosphere,

putting the client at ease and giving

them a valid reason to return! It’s not

enough just to make a good drink,

it must be a complete experience,

including an emotional one.

Speaking of ingredients, I don’t really

have any favourites over others; I love

especially local products and a few

from all over over the world, maybe

less known, just like Sake. In this

case I managed to propose it in a

personalised way.

WHEN DID YOU DISCOVER SAKE

FOR THE FIRST TIME

I’ve had a limited knowledge of this

drink for a few years now: in Italy

there was poor quality that, often,

was served or drank only at the

end of the meal in some Chinese

restaurant, distancing itself even from

true context of its origin. Fortunately,

things have changed, now in this

country we have the so-called

“Premium” products, including Sake.

In this case I discovered a huge

potential both in the mixing and as

an accompaniment to food on a par

with wine.

HOW DID THE IDEA OF MIXING

INSPIRE YOU?

Sake is a drink which has a low

alcohol content of around 15° on

average. Depending upon the type,

can have a taste closer to rice or

with a fruitier and more floral taste,

ideal for creating excellent aperitifs. I

based it on these simple factors... Just

as we use spirits on a daily basis, why

not try and create something with

Sake?

WHAT DOES IT GO PERFECTLY

WELL WITH AND, ALSO, WITH

WHAT DOESN’T IT?

Among spirits it works very well

with Rum, it’s a powerful ally! It

also combines with Whisky, Gin or

Umeshu, a distillate of Japanese sloes.

Furthermore, it expresses itself better

in the company of fruit with high

acidity such as citrus fruits in general,

or with raspberries, blackberries,

cherries and peaches and pineapples;

it is also excellent with cucurbits, i.e.

melon, watermelon and cucumber.

It is also worth trying with flower

essences such as lavender. Instead

everything regarding pears,

blackcurrant and blueberry is to be

avoided.

DESPITE FIND EASY AND

VARIOUS COMBINATIONS; SAKE

IS VERY DIFFERENT TO OTHER

SPIRITS? HOW SHOULD WE VIEW

IT?

We must be precise on one thing:

Sake is fermented and not a distilled,

as some people think. It can be

compared to beer and wine and can

be used in the same manner. Sake is

a term that in Japan has the simple

meaning of “alcoholic drink”, and it is

also for this reason that it has fallen

into common misunderstandings

which are difficult to correct. During

preparation it reaches a maximum

alcoholic content of 20 degrees,

whereupon it is diluted with water

down to 14-15 degrees or even, in the

case of sparkling Sake, 4-5 degrees.

ALSO IN MANY RESTAURANTS

IT IS FASHIONABLE TO DRINK A

COCKTAIL BEFORE ORDERING

DINNER: WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE?

HOW DO YOU SEE MIXOLOGY IN

THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS?

You should always consider that

often the cocktails have a higher

alcoholic content than wine or beer;

and consequently at dinner it is

important not to abuse it. That said,

a good start can be a drink which can

stimulates the appetite and the desire

to eat, a classic such as the timeless

“American” would be perfect or,

given that we are talking about sake,

I propose the Cocktail Sakari, the

drink created and awarded the 2017

Sake Master.

FISH APPETISER, FIRST COURSE

WITH RED MEAT SAUCE AND

THEN A MAIN COURSE OF WHITE

MEAT... A VARIED MENU. WHAT

WOULD GO WELL SHOULD A

CLIENT ASK FOR A COCKTAIL

INSTEAD OF WINE?

For the appetiser I would suggest

something cool, perhaps based on

sparkling wine or sparkling Sake

paired with citrus and bitter notes;

for the first course, choosing from

my list, I would choose for Nero on

holiday, which is a Shochu based

drink (a Japanese distillate in this

case of rice and potatoes) lime, syrup

of cuttlefish ink, extra virgin olive

oil and aquafaba; a drink that, unlike

what you may imagine, remains fresh

and with a low alcoholic content.

For the second course of meat the

ideal would be simple Cuba Libre or

a Michelada with Mexican beer, lime

and seasoned tomato juice... it could

certainly be a pleasant surprise!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE

TO RESTAURANTS THAT WISH

TO APPROACH THE WORLD OF

MIXOLOGY?

Never improvise! To create

the appropriate and balanced

combinations requires the experience

of a professional, otherwise you run