Cocktails in a Wine Bar?

Yes! Cocktails have come to Five Vines Wine Bar. But how, you may ask? A very good question that we are more than happy to answer. Due to our licensing, we are not allowed to serve high ABV (alcohol by volume) distillate beverages. Just can’t do it. Wines and beers are the most linked to this extremely common type of license, but that isn’t all we can do. Kombuchas, ciders, meads, sake, and other types of fermented beverages are perfectly within our realm as well. And this is where our friends at SABE come in. Jim Founders, the founder of SABE, wanted a chance for you to enjoy any cocktails you like in any location, not just those that purchased the overwhelmingly expensive hard liquor license. SABE takes a genuine Japanese sake, with a smooth and immensely neutral flavoring, and blends it with traditionally sourced hard liquors. This 60/40 (60% sake / 40% distillate) blend is not dissimilar to the port making process, where a neutral brandy is used to kill the fermenting process in port wine. The result is a lower ABV, sessionable, and extremely smooth version of the base hard liquor. This causes some confusion, perpetuated in part by us trying to poorly explain the idea, with soju. Soju, however, is a clear low alcohol distilled liquor from a blend of rice and other grains. In the 1960s to the 1990s, even rice wasn’t used for rationing reasons. This gave rise to sweet potato and wheat soju. This beverage, while delicious, is neither the factual ingredient or the flavor profile in SABE beverages. 

So, what are we making with the SABE we have purchased? Two (and soon three) new cocktails for your pleasure:

Jalapeno Margarita

The Five Vines Jalapeno Margarita is a pack of citrus and jalapeno flavor with a splash of sweet and a subtle sizzle of heat. Either salted or unsalted (ask your server), this beverage is served on the rocks and with a garnish of lime and a slice of jalapeno. Uses the SABE Blanco, a mix of blanco tequila from Jalisco, Mexico and SABE’s smoothing Japanese sake. Don’t let the flavors fool you, this drink can sneak up on you. 

Spanish Rum Red Sangria 

The Five Vines Spanish Rum Sangria is based on our old sangria we served years ago with a new kick to it! Our special selections of red wines go into the mix with a dose of SABE Gold and orange juice. SABE Gold is their mix of that same delicious smooth Japanese sake and 4-year old Barbados golden rum. Marinating in the mixture are fresh oranges, strawberries, and blueberries. Bound to please both veteran and novice sangria drinkers.