Sake Simplified: Pete's Beginner's Guide to Japanese Rice Wine

Sake is the iconic drink associated with Japan. It's a rice wine that's available in many varieties with their own nuances to experience.

Here's what you will learn in this guide:

• What is Sake and how its made
• Types and classifications of Sake
• How to drink Sake
• My recommendations for Sake's to try

Basically a brief overview of Sake; what it is, how it's made, the varieties, how to drink and what to drink. There's a lot of really great informative sites out there that go into each aspect in fine detail, which is all fine and interesting, but at the same time I'm thinking, calm down, it's just a drink. So I'll keep these as brief as possible which still imparting some knowledge about Sake, so we can all get onto the drinking part. Kanpai!

What is Sake?

Sake is a wine made from rice. It's made by polishing, cleaning and steaming the rice. Koji (a type of mould) is added to the rice to make a mash which is then fermented. From there it is pressed, filtered and bottled. Easy eh? Not at all!

There are different varieties of Sake and within that are classifications, with the Sake being classified based on certain aspects of how it is manufactured. For the uninitiated this can make choosing Sake a daunting experience when browsing a menu or the supermarket aisle, even if you can read Japanese - how would you even know the difference between the type of sake or the brand name perhaps? It's not that obvious to a foreigner!

Luckily I'm here. Not to tell you all there is to know about Sake, but to give you the nudge in the right direction on your own journey of self-discovery. Learning how different aspects of brewing transpire into different flavours is far more rewarding by drinking as opposed to reading. The starting point is important though so you know what a good Sake tastes like rather than one that could be a more acquired taste and risk putting you off Sake altogether.

Just a note, I refer to it as Sake as most people are familiar with that name. Nihonshu is the correct name for the drink, and interestingly, not all 'Sake' is 'Nihonshu' because in Japanese, the word 'Sake' means alcohol in general, and Nihonshu is the actual name of the rice wine. Sake in Japan is still used as a reference to rice wine in a lot of cases, as historically it was the alcoholic drink.

A historic image from Daishichi brewery

My musings

My own early memories of Sake were not particularly pleasant, but yet seemingly memorable. One time in particular I recall being at a Teppanyaki place with some friends, enjoying the spectacle of the food being chopped and slung around in flames in front of us, and naturally one of the group had enthusiastically called out for some Sake. I can't recall who it was, but to this day nobody in that group would have the foggiest idea of anything about Sake.  And of course being a cold winter's night in downtown Auckland it was inevitable that it was hot sake ordered. I just could not stand it. I can't entirely recall precisely why, but I recall a strong aroma that smelled very much like alcohol. The assumption was made that that's just how Sake is, and what it is, is not for me.

That experience was enough for me to not touch Sake for at least a decade. But that was way back in my early 20's, I don't even think I had beer sorted out back then either - beer was beer. I hadn't acquired the taste for Sake, or wine for that matter, and to this day I still can't enjoy a Whiskey straight.

That youthful and exuberant 20-something lad thought Sake was a spirit, knocking it back like a shot and screwing my face up as I swallowed, only tasting the alcohol. It was only later well into my thirties did I start to appreciate wines, and learning how to taste them by rolling it around the mouth to get the full spectrum of flavours - it was inevitable that Sake would soon follow, and it was like enlightenment, the different and subtle flavours of the different varieties that would change again with a few degrees of temperature change. It was a whole new world!

Types and Classifications

This is simplest I can break down the types of Sake. To start with, Sake is either Premium Sake or Regular Sake.

Premium Sake varieties must meet certain requirements, otherwise they are Regular Sake. There are 8 varieties of Premium Sake, and each is defined by the ratio that the rice is polished to and whether or not alcohol is added after fermentation - refer to the handy table below.

Rice milling, original size remaining	Alcohol added after fermentation	Alcohol not added after fermentation	Classification
50% or less	Daiginjo	Junmai Daiginjo	Premium
60% or less	Ginjo	Junmai Ginjo	Premium
	Tokubetsu Honjozo	Tokubetsu Junmai	Premium
70% or less	Honjozo	Junmai	Premium
70% or more	Futsu-shu		Regular

With me so far? So if you see a Honjozo for example, you know it's a premium Sake (At the lower end) and has brewers alcohol added. What sets it apart from the one below (Futsu-shu) is the rice is polished by more than 30% (70% or less of the rice's original size remaining. Be warned that the polishing reference percentages can tie you up in knots a little bit as it can be referenced from either side - how much rice is remaining or how much it's polished.

Onto this polishing business as it is one of the two main defining factors of a Sake's classification. By polishing away more of the rice, the purer the flavour will be. The outer layers of rice are more likely to have 'contaminants' that may cause off-flavours in the drink, and polishing away more of the rice reduces the possibility for said off-flavours. Polishing isn't a straight forward task otherwise why wouldn't everyone polish their Sake to the highest amount? The simple answer is cost. The more rice you polish away, the more rice overall you need to make the drink. 

The second defining aspect is the addition (or not) of brewers alcohol after fermentation. The purpose of this is that it can draw out flavours and aromas from the mash and as such you will find these Sake's to have richer and more complex flavours than those without (Junmai's). It gives the brewers creative license to achieve the flavours they are aiming for, without the restrictions you would have with a Junmai. The addition of alcohol also increases shelf life. I've kept opened cartons of Futsh-shu in the fridge for weeks without any noticeable effect on taste.

That just leaves Junmai. With no added alcohol Junmai is the pure type of sake, with the word meaning 'water and rice only'. I find Junmai to be light, crisp and delicate but slightly acidic. Personally I'm not big on Junmai's as an evening at home drink due to the acidity sometimes they just taste a little harsh. They also don't keep as well as a non Junmai. I've had some outstanding ones at restaurants though, the ones that are pricey enough I would never contemplate a bottle for home! True some and let me know what you think. 

How to drink Sake

There are many ways to drink Sake, from different vessels and at different temperatures and by all means you should try them all along the way. However, I would strongly recommend chilled most of the time, avoid room temperature, and perhaps sample warm Sake. I would suggest once you have a drink you are familiar with chilled, try it warm and note the differences, though not all varieties do well warm.

With temperature, general rules of thumb (but every Sake will have its own sweet spot)

Warm Sake (35-60C)

• The alcohol will seem stronger, both in smell and taste.
• Fragrances will be increased, not always for the better
• Taste may be sweeter
• Flavours: Rice and Koji will be more dominant

Chilled Sake (0-15C)

• Taste and feel may be drier
• Flavours: Favours light and fruity

I recommend chilled, as in my opinion, the best Sake's such as Daiginjo's (more on that shortly) are much better tasting at lower temperatures due to their extremely delicate flavours and fragrances that are distorted when heated, or muted when over-chilled.

Masu cup

There are commonly two types of vessels used for drinking Sake.

One is the 'set' which comprises of small cups and a carafe (Ochoko and Tokkuri). The carafe (Tokkuri) will often hold around 180ml and have a narrow neck to reduce oxidation. You then serve from the Tokkuri into the Ochoko (small cups). 

The other is the 'Masu' cup, which is essentially a small square wooden box that dates way back to when it was used to measure out rice portions. You can drink straight out of the box, but you will see it more commonly served with a clear glass placed inside the box. Any spillage from the glass into the box, can be drunk out of the box. Genius and not at all rude.

I prefer the Tokkuri and Ochoko personally. Easier for top-ups when sitting on the couch and I can leave the bottle chilling in the fridge. Not all Tokkuri and Ochoko are made equally though as I discovered on a trip last year to a Ryokan in the mountains of Kirishima. With dinner I'd ordered a Daiginjo and it arrived at the table in an A4-sized box filled with ice, containing the Tokkuri and Ochoko. The items were made from a cool, soft metal with exquisite craftsmanship. Then the Sake blew me away. It was incredible - so smooth and creamy yet flavourful despite the very low serving temperature. I had never tasted anything like it. The staff said the vessels play a part as they were made from Satsuma Tinware, a traditional craft of Kagoshima. The interesting properties of the Tin is that its coarse molecules absorb impurities to purify water, and its strong ion effect makes sake taste mellow and delicious. Indeed. The set was available to purchase for a whopping $400, I declined and I absolutely regret it. I could order off Rakuten and get it shipped over but its not the same. It really elevated the Sake drinking experience and one of these sets is on my wish list next time we are in the Kagoshima area.

A Final note on how to drink Sake, is that when drinking with company, no-one should ever pour their own Sake, someone else should always pour it for you!

The Satsuma Tin Sake set

My recommendations

I'm by no means a Sake expert, instead just a normal person like you, and I talk from my own experiences and preferences. I genuinely believe these are the best starting recommendations for people who have not tried Sake before and have no idea what to select from a menu or from a store.

Make sure these are well chilled - around 8C, which by the time you take it out of the fridge and are serving from your Tokkuri, it's probably about right.

• At a restaurant: Daiginjo

Daiginjo is typically the finest sake a brewery will make. That doesn't mean it's going to be pricey but they can be very much so. They are rarely cheap, especially at a restaurant, but I implore you, do not just go for any cheap Sake on the menu, especially one that isn't Daiginjo for your first time trying Sake. Do it once and do it right!

Daiginjo is often very well balanced, fragrant, sometimes subtlety fruity, and above all is smooth with a delicate taste. It is beautiful.

I prefer Daiginjo over Junmai Daiginjo because of the flavours. Referring back to the above table, Daiginjo is Daiginjo because the rice is polished down to 50% or less of its original size and that Junmai is a Sake without added alcohol, so a Junmai daiginjo is simply a Sake made with the highest level of rice polishing and without added alcohol. As I touched on before with Junmai's, the acidity means it often lacks the smoothness you'll get with a Sake with added alcohol. Not being shackled by the restrictions of Junmai, brewers of non-Junmai sake have more creative freedom when trying to coax out various flavours and aromas.

• At home: Futsu-shu

Don't sleep on Futsu-shu's. Trust me there is nothing wrong with 'regular' Sake and it is my go-to for at home. I would probably order it at restaurants but they usually only have premium varieties on their menus. Though Izakaya may be different, I can't say I've ever checked as 'bin-beeru' is my usual drink of choice at an Izakaya.

Most of the Futsu-shu's I've bought have little indication of anything on the carton, and so it can be a bit of pot luck I suppose. I haven't had a bad one yet, so maybe it's not luck and they all taste pretty good. Further drinking research is required.

What I like about Futsu-Shu is how drinkable they are, on any day, with or without food. All the ones I've had tend to be smooth and slightly creamy tasting, and pretty neutral in flavour. They lack that 'pure' and 'crisp' feel and taste (and clarity) you might get from a Junmai, but also without the acidity, which makes them go down easier. An all round good drink that I cannot imagine many people would dislike, only perhaps turn their nose up at because it's not a premium Sake, some people don't even consider it to be Sake!

For those readers in New Zealand, here is a link to my go-to Futsh-shu's available from Tokyo Liquor. $35 for a 1.8L carton is great value and keeps in the fridge for weeks.

Futsu shu cartons in a supermarket

To recap

Basically get drinking. Start with a Daiginjo, and then try different Sake's and try lots of them. Find one that you like and then branch out from there, and try to determine how the differences between them affect the flavour and feel.

Oh and always keep a big carton of Futsu-shu in the fridge.