saké guide

A Brief Guide to Saké

Saké is an all-natural rice-based fermented alcoholic beverage. It is made like beer and served like wine, with tasting characteristics and alcohol content very similar to wine.

Saké was first made in China roughly 5,000 years ago, but was later dramatically improved in Japan. Today, there are over 14,000 different sakés produced by 1,800 brewers worldwide, primarily in Japan.

Saké is made from four ingredients: rice, water, yeast, and koji, an enzyme. The starches in rice are concentrated in the center of the grain, and for premium and super premium saké, the outside of the grain is polished away. This exposes the heart of the rice that contains the starch that will be converted to fermentable sugars. The degree to which the rice is polished determines how the saké is classified.

Most saké is aged for about six months, either in tanks or in the glass bottle. It is important that saké is kept at a controlled temperature, and it should be consumed 2-4 days after opening the bottle.

Main types of saké include:

• Junmai - Made from pure rice that is polished 30-40%.
• Junmai Ginjo - Made from pure rice that is polished 40-50%.
• Junmai Daiginjo - Made from pure rice polished over 50%.
• Honjozo - Rice has been polished 30-40%; very small amount of distilled alcohol has been added. This brings out flavors & aromas.
• Nama - Meaning "fresh" or "raw," this saké has not been pasteurized. It must be kept chilled.
• Genshu - Saké in its purest form before it has been diluted. The alcohol content of this saké is approximately 20-22%.
• Nigori - This sakéé has been loosely filtered and has a cloudy, white color. Its taste can be sweet or dry.
• Infused - A new phenomenon, an additional flavor is added at the end of the brewing process.