The Tasting Panel magazine

Sept 09

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A s Texas's hottest summer on record continues, a lot of beer is flowing to cool down the Lone Star State. But at Kenichi, a contemporary Asian restaurant in Austin, they're also pouring ice-cold saké to beat the heat—and a most of it is TY KU. Josh Babb, Managing Partner of Kenichi restaurants in Austin, Dallas, and Aspen, ad- mits that the U.S. isn't saké-savvy yet, but the category is growing rapidly through innova- tion, such as saké Mojitos made with low-calo- rie TY KU Liqueur. "We also champion saké sangria. We infuse a number of different fruits for seven days with TY KU Saké, then serve over ice or freeze into saké sangria popsicles, which fit with Austin's kickass vibe." In contrast, Babb says, Dallas's fine-dining atmosphere is perfect for hosting saké dinners featuring both TY KU Saké and ultra-premium TY KU White: "We have the largest saké se- lection in the U.S. at Kenichi in Dallas, as well as Hung Nguyen, one of only a handful of level-two saké sommeliers in the country." Mike Howard, TY KU's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, says the proliferation of Asian and sushi restaurants has helped make Texas the brand's second-biggest market in country. But there are also practical reasons for the success: "The name, a combination of Tai Chi and haiku, is easy for servers to pronounce and recom- mend, and the award-winning packaging certainly attracts atten- tion. But premium cold saké is still unfamiliar to many consumers, so TY KU remains aggressive on education." Which is a wise move, because who wants a warm saké shot in this kind of heat? Brand Spotlight As TY KU does its part to keep a couple of hot states cool, THE TASTING PANEL demonstrates how this Asian-spirited brand can keep the temperature down and interest up (Saké) The Big Chill TY KU in Austin and Dallas Josh Babb, Managing Partner of Kenichi restaurants in Austin, Dallas and Aspen, with Mike Howard, TY KU's VP of Sales and Marketing. The Saké Mojito at Kenichi is made with TY KU liqueur. In Texas, ice-cold saké cocktails are the latest and greatest way to beat the heat story and photos by Anthony Head 52 / the tasting panel / september 2009

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