charlie

This "glass" (or wineglass) should be 2 oz. Less than "large cocktail glass." (see Jerry Thomas' Martinez Cocktail)

Try these: 1) Put the shaker into hot water for a while. If the shaker is stuck because your friend shook too hard, this may help. 2) Fill the shaker with water and put it into a refridgerator. Wait for several hours until ice push the top off. (like frozen canned beer :-p)

Many of the Japanese drinking beer with sushi think sake a bit stronger or sweeter, or for the oldies. But they will admit drier sake matches best with sushi -- or second best, maybe (Japanese tea is the real best option). Beer makes raw fish taste more fishy. Good sake needs to be stored in the cooler place (like white wine). And many of sake tastes better when chilled (but not ice-cold). In that sense, sake resembles wine.