Sake is the National drink
of Japan!
What Is
Japanese Sake?
With a history going back over 1,500 years,
sake is central to Japanese culture.
Sake is the National drink
of Japan!
With a history going back over 1,500 years,
sake is central to Japanese culture.
Sake is fermented!
ABV ≈ 15%
It is not a distilled liquor nor a spirit.
Sake is fermented!
ABV ≈ 15%
It is not a distilled liquor nor a spirit.
Sake is sipped,
like a wine.
Best enjoyed in a wine glass,
sake is not to be drunk as a shot.
Sake is sipped,
like a wine.
Best enjoyed in a wine glass,
sake is not to be drunk as a shot.
Sake can be enjoyed
both hot & cold.
Traditional sake is usually enjoyed hot while newer and more refined sake is usually best enjoyed chilled.
Sake can be enjoyed
hot & cold.
Traditional sake is usually enjoyed hot
while newer and more refined sake
is usually best enjoyed chilled.
Sake is excellent with
all kinds of cuisine.
Sake is not limited to Japanese cuisine
but will pair fantastically with world cuisine.
Sake is excellent with
all kinds of cuisine.
Sake is not limited to Japanese cuisine
but will pair fantastically with world cuisine.
The ingredients of sake.
RICE
Just like wine is made with special grapes, sake is brewed using special rice varieties.
Sake rice has larger and softer grains with a high starch but low protein content, perfect for brewing delicious sake. Growing sake rice is hard labour making it more expensive than wine grapes.
WATER
Water plays a crucial role throughout the entire sake brewing process so it is of utmost importance this water comes from the purest source.
Luckily Japan has plenty of pristine spring water sources, and breweries are usually located near them.
KOJI & YEAST
Koji-kin (aspergillus oryzae) is the mould used to convert the rice starch into sugar. It is sprinkled over 20% of the rice to create Koji-rice.
Yeasts are used to convert the sugar created by the Koji-kin into alcohol. Yeast plays a crucial part in creating the final aromas of sake.
The ingredients
of sake.
RICE
Just like wine is made with special grapes, sake is brewed using special rice varieties.
Sake rice has larger and softer grains with a high starch but low protein content, perfect for brewing delicious sake. Growing sake rice is hard labour making it more expensive than wine grapes.
WATER
Water plays a crucial role throughout the entire sake brewing process so it is of utmost importance this water comes from the purest source.
Luckily Japan has plenty of pristine spring water sources, and breweries are usually located near them.
KOJI & YEAST
Koji-kin (aspergillus oryzae) is the mould used to convert the rice starch into sugar. It is sprinkled over 20% of the rice to create Koji-rice.
Yeasts are used to convert the sugar created by the Koji-kin into alcohol. Yeast plays a crucial part in creating the final aromas of sake.
Sake is Brewed.
Sake is brewed using a unique fermentation method called “multiple parallel fermentations.” This is where the transformation of the rice starch into sugar (saccharification) and the one of sugar into alcohol (fermentation) happens at the same time, in parallel. Sake is the only drink in the world fermented this way. It is also the fermentation process that naturally yields the highest alcohol level up to 20%.
Sake is Brewed.
Sake is brewed using a unique fermentation method called “multiple parallel fermentations.” This is where the transformation of the rice starch into sugar (saccharification) and the one of sugar into alcohol (fermentation) happens at the same time, in parallel. Sake is the only drink in the world fermented this way. It is also the fermentation process that naturally yields the highest alcohol level up to 20%.
The Two Main Families
of Premium Sake
Family #01
JUNMAI SAKE
Junmai sakes are brewed using only rice, water, koji and yeast. These sakes are often considered the "purest" and represent about 25% of the total production of sake in Japan. They tend to have a fuller body and a stronger character.
Family #01
JUNMAI SAKE
Junmai sakes are brewed using only rice, water, koji and yeast. These sakes are often considered the "purest" and represent about 25% of the total production of sake in Japan. They tend to have a fuller body and a stronger character.
Family #02
NON- JUNMAI SAKE
Non-Junmai sakes are brewed using rice, water, koji and yeast but unlike junmais, a small amount of distilled alcohol is added to enhance the flavour and fragrance of the sake. Non-Junmais are slightly more floral and aromatic.
Family #02
NON-JUNMAI SAKE
Non-Junmai sakes are brewed using rice, water, koji and yeast but unlike junmais, a small amount of alcohol is added to enhance the flavour and fragrance of the sake. Non-Junmais are slightly more floral and aromatic.
Rice Polishing Ratio
or "Seimaibuai."
The rice polishing ratio refers to the rice grain size remaining after polishing; it is expressed in %.
The rice is polished before the brewing process to remove fat, proteins, and other unwanted elements present on the grain's outer layers.
The lower the "%" value, the more polished and the more premium the sake.
The outer layers
being polished away
The white core
or "Shin-paku"
The Classification Of Premium Sake
The Grades of Premium Sake
The more polished, the more premium the sake.
{ Traditional & Easy Drinking Sake }
No polishing ratio requirements.
#JUNMAI
Junmai sakes are "pure rice" sakes brewed exclusively with rice, water, koji and yeast. There are no minimum polishing ratio requirements. Nothing is else is added. They are regarded as the purest and more traditional kind of sake.
Junmai sakes tend to be fuller, richer and less aromatic. They are great paired with meat or enjoyed warmed on a cold day.
JUNMAI
No polishing ratio requirements.
Junmai sakes are "pure rice" sakes brewed exclusively with rice, water, koji and yeast. There are no minimum polishing ratio requirements. Nothing is else is added. They are regarded as the purest and more traditional kind of sake.
Junmai sakes tend to be fuller, richer and less aromatic. They are great paired with meat or enjoyed warmed on a cold day.
Up to 70% polishing ratio.
#HONJOZO
Honjozo sakes are brewed with rice, water, koji, yeast and a small amount of pure distilled alcohol. The rice used for brewing must have a polishing ratio of 70%. Honjozo sake tend to be lighter and drier than their junmai counterparts.
HONJOZO
Up to 70% polishing ratio.
Honjozo sakes are brewed with rice, water, koji, yeast and a small amount of pure distilled alcohol. The rice used for brewing must have a polishing ratio of 70%. Honjozo sake tend to be lighter and drier than their junmai counterparts.
{ Light & Refreshing Sake }
#JUNMAI GINJO
A "pure rice" sake brewed only with rice, water, koji and yeast. To be classified as a junmai ginjo, the rice polishing ratio must be at least 60%, i.e. 40% of the grain must be milled away.
Junmai ginjos are more refined and aromatic than regular junmais.
60% to 50% polishing ratio.
#GINJO
A sake with added alcohol brewed with rice polished down to at least 60%, similar to junmai ginjos.
For simplicity, if the prefix junmai isn't mentioned, it means it is a honjozo with added alcohol.
Ginjos are soft and aromatic, more than honjozos and most junmai ginjos.
60% to 50% polishing ratio.
JUNMAI GINJO
60% to 50% polishing ratio.
A "pure rice" sake brewed only with rice, water, koji and yeast. To be classified as a junmai ginjo, the rice polishing ratio must be at least 60%, i.e. 40% of the grain must be milled away.
Junmai ginjos are more refined and aromatic than regular junmais.
GINJO
60% to 50% polishing ratio.
A sake with added alcohol brewed with rice polished down to at least 60%, similar to junmai ginjos.
For simplicity, if the prefix junmai isn't mentioned, it means it is a honjozo with added alcohol.
Ginjos are soft and aromatic, more than honjozos and most junmai ginjos.
{ Subtle & Ultra-Premium Sake }
60% or less polishing ratio.
JUNMAI DAIGINJO
A "pure rice" sake brewed with rice polished down to at least 50%. More refined and delicate than junmais and junmai ginjos, they are often the most premium and sought after sake in the market. Junmai Daiginjos are regarded as the "all-stars" of the sake world.
Junmai daiginjos are the most aromatic of all junmai sakes.
JUNMAI DAIGINJO
60% or less polishing ratio.
A "pure rice" sake brewed with rice polished down to at least 50%. More refined and delicate than junmais and junmai ginjos, they are often the most premium and sought after sake in the market. Junmai Daiginjos are regarded as the "all-stars" of the sake world.
Junmai daiginjos are the most aromatic of all junmai sakes.
60% or less polishing ratio.
DAIGINJO
An alcohol added sake brewed with rice polished down to at least 50%. Daiginjos are exceptionally aromatic and floral. Just like junmai daiginjos, they are some of the most celebrated sake in the market.
Daiginjos are often the big winners at sake competitions around the world.
DAIGINJO
60% or less polishing ratio.
An alcohol added sake brewed with rice polished down to at least 50%. Daiginjos are exceptionally aromatic and floral. Just like junmai daiginjos, they are some of the most celebrated sake in the market.
Daiginjos are often the big winners at sake competitions around the world.
The Other Common Types of Sake.
They are not mutually exclusive but can sometimes co-exist!
NIGORI
Highly recognisable due to its cloudy white colour, nigori sake, or nigorizake, is sake in which sake-kasu (sake lees), the white residues, have been left behind on purpose. They are rich and creamy.
NAMA
Unpasteurised sakes are called namazake or nama sake. They have not gone through the standard double pasteurisation. They are fresher and livelier.
SPARKLING
They are new and popular among consumers new to sake. They tend to be less alcoholic with an ABV between 5% and 12%.
GENSHU
Sake, with no added water to lower the level of alcohol, is called "genshu." Brewers omit this step to create more potent sake usually between 16% and 20% ABV. They are often drunk on the rocks.
KIJOSHU
Sweeter style of sake perfect for aperitif or dessert. Brewers stop the fermentation early to increase the overall sugar content of the br
AGED
A rare breed of sake. Brewers can age sake in tanks, bottles, ceramic jars and more. They are characterised by their caramel, honey, dried fruits and spices flavour profile.
What's Shochu?
Shochu is a distilled beverage produced in Japan. It is often made from rice, barley, sweet potatoes, buckwheat, or brown sugar, but it can also be made from chestnuts, sesame seeds, potatoes, or even carrots.
Sake and shochu share many similarities in their early stages. It begins with the making of koji, which breaks rice starch into glucose, a sugar. Next, sake is made by adding koji rice, water, and a yeast starter to a fermentation tank to create moromi or mash. After fermentation, sake is pressed, filtered, aged for about six months, and then bottled.
There is an initial fermentation of rice koji, water, and yeast in shochu over three days. Following this, steamed rice, barley or sweet potato are added to ceramic vats. After two weeks of fermentation, the moromi are distilled, stored in tanks, and aged in bottles for up to fifteen years.
Shochu made this way has a lovely nutty sweetness and an incipient charm - a sake brewer's take on what a distilled spirit should be. Barley shochu is usually served on the rocks or diluted with 6:4 water. Shochu made from rice is served neat or in a 6:4 ratio, either warmed in a tokkuri or with water and ice. Potato shochu is served warm in a similar proportion. You can pair shochu with meals like broiled fish, grilled beef, skewered chicken and stewed daikon.