In recent years, we have seen sake, or nihonshu, used in castella pound cakes, chocolate bonbons and other desserts. However, it was not until 2020 when Sake Ice opened in Asakusa did I hear of sake being used in ice cream, let alone a shop specializing in this sake-infused chilled creamy concoction.
Soon after the Asakusa store made its appearancce, Sake Ice opened a branch in Shibuya, which I attempted to visit during the pandemic. Google Maps said it was permanently closed, but I thought that that must be wrong, as it was only a few months after it had opened. However, I decided to check for myself in the hope that Google Maps had got it wrong. Surprise, surprise, it wasn’t there. In the post-pandemic era, with lots of inbound tourism, it appears Sake Ice is doing better. It now has a new, very convenient branch in front of Tokyo Station near the Yaesu Exit, in the alleyway between the new Tokyo Midtown Yaesu complex and the new Yanmar Building.
When I visited, there were both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options on sale in the tiny store. Among the alcoholic types, there were three that were “plain” but featured different types of nihonshu. The first one was Otokoyama (男山), a “spicy,” dry sake from Hokkaido; the second one included Chiyonomusubi (千代のむすび), an aromatic sake from Tottori; and the third one contained Okihomare (隠岐誉), a sweet, rich sake from Shimane. I chose the Okihomare, as it was labeled sweet. I thought the flavor of the sake would be more pronounced in the finished product. The specific type of Okihomare was Muromachi no Junmaishu 90 ( 室町の純米酒 90), a sake made in the style that was popular in the Muromachi Period (1336-1573).
As I stuck the wooden spoon into my mouth, my first impression was that this is truly an adult dessert. There was a rich creamy texture that you would expect from a high-end ice cream, followed by a nice alcoholic tingle when I exhaled from my nose, something you might expect from a product with an ABV of 4.5%. The taste of the sake was definitely there, and it was not overpowered by the cream and sugar and other ingredients.
Sake Ice not only offers ice cream containing nihonshu but other products containing different alcoholic beverages from Japan, as well as seasonal flavors. In addition, you can enjoy a paid tasting of some of the sake that goes into their ice cream and even some that does not.
If you are in Tokyo, Sake Ice is highly recommended!
Official website: https://sakeice.jp/
Location – https://maps.app.goo.gl/9c6Ed6CG8aS5oNjU7?g_st=ic
Drinking Japan 