Skip to main content

Iron Chef Morimoto Continues Building His Empire with Easy Cup Sake

Easy Cup Sake

Even if you didn’t know you needed sake in an “easy” container, you do, and chef Masaharu Morimoto has you covered with his launch of Easy Cup Sake.

As more and more brands start canning beers, wines, and cocktails, it was only a matter of time before sake hit the shelves in a new package. Unlike the others, Easy Cup Sake doesn’t put sake in a cup, but in a “picnic-friendly five-pack of resealable” 210mL glass cups.

Recommended Videos

Easy Cup Sake doesn’t put sake in a cup, but in a “picnic-friendly five-pack of resealable” glass cups.

Morimoto’s new beverage innovation “replaces the typically daunting process of sake selection” by placing them in the resealable containers. The liquid inside the containers is a “premium grade Yamada Nishiki Rice which has been polished to 70% and brewed with the famously pure Fushimizu water.”

“Sake is not easy to understand,” Morimoto says. “I’m making it easy.”

Morimoto rose to fame as a star in both the Japanese and American versions of Iron Chef, starting in 1998. By 2001, Morimoto opened his first restaurant in Philadelphia, followed by spots in New York, Napa, Honolulu, Boca Raton, Mumbai, New Delhi, Mexico City, Tokyo, and Maui. In 2015 he opened Morimoto Asia Orlando at Disney Springs and then in 2016 opened Momosan Ramen and Sake NYC and Morimoto Las Vegas. Last year, he brought his restaurant count to 16 with restaurant openings in Waikiki, Dubai, and Doha and number 17 is set to open this year in Seattle.

Morimoto also has two cookbooks: Morimoto: The New Art of Japanese Cooking and Mastering the Art of Japanese Cooking.

Easy Cup Sake

As his empire of restaurants has grown, so too have his other entrepreneurial endeavors. Easy Cup Sake isn’t even his first beverage endeavor. He has brewed a line of beers with Rogue Ales & Spirits, Morimoto Cabernet Sauvignon with Mondavi, and two lines of premium sake. Outside of beverages, the chef also has Miyabi Morimoto Edition knives and Morimoto instant ramen and miso soup.

He’s not busy at all is what we’re saying.

Easy Cup Sake can be found at Morimoto NYC, the New York and Waikiki locations of Momosan Ramen & Sake, as well as many retail locations across the country.

It’s not exactly the normal beach or backyard BBQ beverage, but the next time you’re headed out and want to reach for something different, sake can now be an option.

Pat Evans
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Pat Evans is a writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focusing on food and beer, spirits, business, and sports. His full…
Show your Wicked side with these mezcal cocktails for Oscars night
Whether you're Team Galinda or Team Elphaba
Mezcal Union-4

If you're getting ready for the biggest movie awards night of the year tomorrow, we've already given you some Oscars-themed cocktails to try. But for those of you who are cheering on Wicked in particular, we've got some fun color coordinated drinks to celebrate the surprising musical smash of the year.

These drinks from Mezcal Unión come in the signature green or pink shades of Elphaba and Galinda, making use of matcha powder and Peychaud Bitters to give a colorful twist to these tasty concoctions. There's a twist on a traditional Margarita using mezcal in place of tequila, and a take on the Clover Club which uses mezcal rather than gin. Cheers to Wicked's 10 Oscar nominations!
The Bad Witch

Read more
A rich and moody cocktail to celebrate Conclave’s Oscars nominations
If you're cheering on Ralph Fiennes for Best Actor, raise a toast
Ralph Fiennes in Conclave.

It's Oscars weekend, which is a great excuse for catching up on some widely acclaimed movies, having some friends round, and enjoying the glitz and glamor of this year's event. We've shared Oscars themed cocktails and some Wicked cocktails too, but if you're stanning hard for Ralph Fiennes and his best actor nomination, then we have a drink just for you.

Fiennes impressed everyone, it seems, with his turn in Papal drama Conclave, and he's up for an award along with his co-star Isabella Rossellini, nominated for best supporting actress, as well as the film scoring nominations for costume, editing, music, production, and of course the all-important Best Picture.

Read more
This frozen espresso martini recipe proves everything tastes better frozen
An elevated form of your favorite coffee cocktail
frozen espresso martini

Frozen drinks are usually associated with summer, and I understand why. There's nothing like sipping on a pina colada or even a wine frosé poolside while you soak up the sun. But just like I still drink hot coffee in the summer or iced coffee in the winter, there's still a place for frozen cocktails in your life year-round. I recently tried a frozen espresso martini, proving that everything tastes better. Perfect for a post-dinner snack or a refreshing game night drink to serve amongst friends, there's never a bad time a frozen espresso martini. This recipe is worth drinking in any weather, whether hot or cold.
How to make a frozen espresso martini

The espresso martini is one of those cocktails with dozens of variations. Some recipes are creamier, whereas others have a heavier espresso taste. Some variations use other types of liquor instead of vodka or recipes with specialty flavors, such as pumpkin spice espresso martini.

Read more