Memorial Day weekend is almost here, which means one thing in DC: the grills are coming out. Backyards, rooftops, the parks along the Potomac — by Monday afternoon, half the city smells like charcoal and burgers.
And here’s what I want to talk about today: sake belongs at that BBQ.
I know. Beer is the default. Red wine has its loyalists. But if you’ve been around DC Sake cō for any amount of time, you know I believe sake can fit into American life — the cookouts, the long weekends, the casual Saturday afternoons — just as easily as anything else in your cooler.
This Memorial Day, I’m bringing two bottles to my own gathering. Here’s what they are, why I picked them, and exactly how I’m planning to drink them.
Bottle #1: Cowboy Yamahai — Built for the Grill
Yes, it’s actually called Cowboy. And yes, it was made for BBQ.
This is a bold, umami-rich sake with real depth — the kind of sake that doesn’t get pushed around by smoked brisket or a charred ribeye. Most sakes you’ve had are possibly are delicate, floral, served chilled in a small glass. Cowboy is the opposite of that. It’s hearty. It’s confident. It stands up to grilled meat the way a good zinfandel does.
How I’m drinking it this Memorial Day: I’m making what I call a sake highball — pour Cowboy over ice, top with sparkling water (1:1), and that’s it. Lighter, more refreshing, perfect for a hot afternoon when you’re standing next to a 500-degree grill. If you’ve never had sake on the rocks before, this is the bottle to try it with. Cowboy can take it.
Bottle #2: Cup Sake — The Cooler MVP
The second bottle isn’t really a bottle at all. It’s a cup sake — single-serving, sealed, the kind they sell at train stations all over Japan.
Cup sake is genius for one simple reason: you just toss it in the cooler. No glasses, no pouring, no stems to knock over on a picnic blanket. It’s the most low-maintenance way to bring sake to a casual gathering.
But here’s the part I love most: when someone reaches into the cooler past the beers and pulls out a cup sake, they always ask about it. “Oh! What is this?”
That’s the magic. A cooler full of beer is a cooler full of beer. A cooler with a few cup sakes in it is a conversation.
How to drink it: Straight from the cup is traditional and totally fine. But if you want to play, do what I do — enjoy it three ways, all in one cup!
1. Drink as is (1/3)
2. Throw ice in that cup, enjoy it as Rock
3. Add a splash of sparkling water, and maybe a squeeze of citrus to make an instant sake spritz!
But Wait — There’s More
Cowboy and cup sake are my choice for this weekend, but as you know, we carry a whole lineup of sakes that were practically born for a backyard grill.
Rather than making you read a wall of tasting notes while you’re trying to figure out what to marinate, I pulled them all together for you. Every bottle on that page has my personal approved for outdoor grilling.
The Bigger Point
Here’s what I really want this Memorial Day: I want sake to be a normal option. Not the weird thing your friend brought. Not the bottle nobody knows what to do with. Just — one of the things in the cooler. One of the choices on the table.
That’s how categories grow. One BBQ at a time. One curious friend at a time. One cup sake passed across the table.
So if you’re hosting this weekend, or showing up to someone else’s grill, bring a bottle or two. Try the sake-highball. Try the cup. See what happens when you put sake next to a hot dog!
And then — please — tell me how it went. Message us on Instagram, or tag us at your gathering. You know how I aways want to hear your sake-experiences!
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Forward this to whoever’s bringing the drinks. Sake belongs in that cooler.
Kanpai, and happy grilling!
Reiko
Founder, D.C. Sake cō
