Odds are, you’re either not drinking enough sake or you’re not mixing it right. Fortunately, the lovely nectar of fermented rice is nimble and cocktail-ready, once you get the hang of it.

Monica Samuels is the Director of Sake and Spirits and Vine Connection. The company specializes in sake imports and boasts a nice lineup of varieties, spanning all kinds of styles and flavors. We had her offer some of her favorite sake cocktail creations so that you can experience firsthand just how special the stuff can be.

“Sake is clean, refreshing, and is packed with subtle fruit and floral notes that are fun to amplify when mixing in cocktails,” she says. “The low ABV — 15% on average — also makes sake cocktails more sessionable, and a better-for-you choice overall as they require much less in terms of sugary mixers.”

In other words, ditch the stereotypical Sake Bomb and go for something a little more sophisticated and tasty. Here are eleven great sake cocktails to sip on:

Method: Pour Blossom of Peace over ice in tall glass and top with Mango La Croix. Garnish with an edible flower or cherry.

Method: Muddle cherries and mint in a shaker. Add Blossom of Peace Plum Sake, juices and soda. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon wedge and sprig of mint.

Method: Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve in a tall glass and garnish with fresh mint.

Method: Combine all in a shaker and add a few ice cubes. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass. Garnish with melon ball pick.

Method: Roughly chop Thai basil. Combine Typhoon and lemonade with ice in a shaker and serve with basil garnish.

Method: Muddle cherries with Living Jewel, PAMA, and pomegranate juice in shaker. Add a few ice cubes and lemon juice and shake vigorously. Strain and add a splash of club soda. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Method: Muddle strawberries in Snow Maiden Sake with mint, agave, and lime juice in shaker. Add ice and shake, strain into a tall glass. Finish with club soda and a garnish of mint.

Method: Combine all ingredients in shaker and strain over ice. Serve with a cherry garnish.

Method: Freeze Bushido can overnight. Add all ingredients into shaker. Shake, strain into coupe, express orange peel over top. 

Method: Build over ice in a tall glass and top with a splash of soda water. Garnish with a lime.

(Created by Blake Walker)

Method: Stir all ingredients over ice then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

(Created by Bobby Flay)

Method: Combine sake and vodka in a cocktail shaker with the chipped ice and shake well. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a slice of Japanese cucumber.