For Saké's Sake: Sushi Den and Izakaya Den Launch The Saké Passport Today

Sushi Den and Izakaya Den promised to showcase saké last year, and delivered— Izakaya Den's menu boasts saké cocktails and the Bamboo Picnic saké flight, and guests can choose from more than 30 sakés at Sushi Den.

And now, these Old South Pearl restaurants have outdone themselves with their most recent saké endeavor: the Saké Passport educational series, in celebration of Japanese cuisine being added to the United Nations cultural heritage list. Beginning February 17, guests will receive a full passport booklet to be used at Sushi Den and Izakaya Den until April when passports are collected and the grand prize winners are announced. Then in May, the restaurants will host a saké seminar and grand tasting.

Cultivated by master chef Toshi Kizaki, the 23 sakés in the Saké Passport represent the range of saké grades, from honjozo to daiginjo to junmai. It also explains what all of those words mean.

From tomorrow until the end of April, guests are encouraged to get their saké passports stamped by Sushi Den and Izakaya Den bartenders. The first guest to complete the passport receives an Omakase dinner for four created by a private chef in the Denchu Room, a bottle of the guest's favorite sake and four tickets to April's sake seminar and grand tasting, the second will receive that same dinner package for two, and the third will win four tickets to April's sake seminar and grand tasting. All other guests completing the passport before April 30 will receive a bottle of their favorite sake.

Izakaya Den will host the sake seminar and grand tasting Monday, May 5, featuring sake experts, tasting stations and food pairings throughout the restaurant. For more information and tickets visit izakayaden.net.

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