Sake

Sake is hot, hot, hot (though the best are actually served cold). It's the hippest sip at the cocktail hour and, as the sommeliers will tell you, can be a delicious accompaniment to food. This fun and informative guide demystifies an age-old wine and explains the many types of sake and how to properly taste their complex flavors. Beau Timken's foolproof TasteMatch system profiles 50 suggested sakes and provides their beer and wine flavor equivalents, creating a simple-yet-effective resource for finding a perfect match. Plus, recipes for 30 sake cocktails and 15 sake-friendly dishes make sake appropriate for any occasion (try a refreshing glass of Sake Sangria, or surprise guests by pairing sake with Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms and Pancetta). There's even a section on planning and hosting a sake-tasting party to share your newfound sake expertise. A contemporary look at a traditional drink, Sake captures 1,000 years of culture and updates it for the modern lifestyle. Kanpai!

Sara Deseran is a senior editor at 7 x 7 magazine in San Francisco. She has contributed to such publications as Food & Wine , and is the author of Picnics (0-8118-4299-1).

Beau Timken is the owner of TrueSake in San Francisco, the first store dedicated to sake. He holds two professional sake-tasting licenses and is a master sake sommelier. This is his first book.

Scott Peterson is a San Francisco based photographer whose work has appeared in 7x7 , Bon Appetit , and Sunset magazines.