tutoring came via Netflix: As the chef Stefan Sigl decided to brew in the basement of his Salzburg’s parents house, the traditional Japanese rice beverage Sake, he had to look to sources of information. The award-winning documentary “The Birth of Sake”, which provides insights into the Sake manufacturing in the Northern Japanese brewery Yoshida, was one of them. With the career of the “Alpin Sake” should it go after the first Try quickly: “The first Time around I tried to 2018,” says Stefan Sigl, who works in the kitchen of the Viennese star restaurant, the “Steirereck”. Already in 2019, the first Batch of Sake came from the dealer, Wagner’s wine shop on the market. “In manufacturing, it worked just the same.” Meanwhile, Sigls chef-mate Lucas Sorger is on Board. Met and engaged the two in the Restaurant “Ikarus” at Salzburg’s Hangar-7, the Eckart witzigmann international guest chefs.
It is well for the young Austrian brand that Sake is generally in the catering industry is on the rise and more and more Sommeliers, this beverage is produced from rice, water, Koji mold and yeast, as a Supplement to your wine cards. The flavors of Sake, ranging from Almond butter or strawberry yogurt hints to the sherry notes – the diversity is due to the few ingredients, amazing. Delicate milky representatives as well as challenging, salty, brewed with sea water.
Western palate need to practice a little to the sometimes very subtle differences between the different Sake to perceive varieties – the taste spectrum is this alcoholic rice drink, finally, a completely different than that of the wine that has been learned in our Latitudes,””. Of Central importance is the percentage specified degree of Polish of the for the Sake the rice grains in Japan: The outer layer of each rice grain is ground away, to use depending on the desired style more or less exclusively in the starchy core of the grain. Traditionally, Sake with a very low degree of Polish (if much was sanded away) as particularly precious.
a Low alcohol content and a distinct Sweet-and-acid-game
The alcohol content of Sake is moving in Japan, mostly between 14 and 19 percent by volume. The Salzburg “Alpin Sake” comes to drinking river animierendere twelve percent. While Stefan Sigl had, in fact, first of all, Sake is the traditional Japanese Art in mind, it was clear to him after a few weeks, that it was “rather pointless” to want to Sake copy. “The available rice is different, the polished degrees are different, and we have yeasts, no special Flowers, such as cherry or Calendula.” Sigl was the question: “What could account for my Sake?”, as a Central European Version of the Japanese national drink. The answer: drink more, so a lower alcohol content, and a Western palate oncoming pronounced Sweet-and-acid-game. (Most of Japanese Sake have a little acid.)
this Sweet-and-acid-game in front of saw Sigl from the first Year of the “Alpine Sake”varieties of additional ingredients: Shisokraut, hibiscus flowers, dried organic apricots (he says, of course, to a good Austrian Apricots to it), as well as the citrus fruit Kalamansi. “We make drinks not mixing, but the aromatics are given for the maceration on the skins directly to it.” What brings him to the production of Sake. In short: For the Koji is first washed rice, steamed with the Koji-mold spores dusted. The yeast starter culture for this Koji, and steamed rice, water and yeast want to be fed, “similar to sourdough”. And then, says Stefan Sigl, would qualify for the main mash in the brewery-the basement of his parents house, “many of the rice cooker into the game”. The steamed rice, in turn, is mixed with water, Koji and the yeast starter culture and fermented in Tanks 25 to 30 days, including the aromatics such as Shiso. It is the pressing of the mash, as well as the tire on the Fine lees follow. Here, the suspended solids to sink to the bottom, the “Alpin Sake” can be filled in bottles.
Traditionally brewed Sake, because of the lower temperatures in the winter months, and also at the Salzburg Sake is produced in January. Is filled the next Year in November. To pink the currently available varieties of Shiso (with self-grown Shisoblättern) and apricot (in the glass of a sleek Yellow) will be joining this year there is a Natural Version of: “the yeasts, which are drawn from the honey, and exclusively by Austrian rice.” Easter rice is the product of dry farming in the vicinity of Vienna is called.
