What is Sake?

Saké is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. It is also referred to in English as rice wine. However, unlike true wine, in which alcohol is produced by fermenting the sugar naturally present in fruit, sake is made through a brewing process more like that of beer.

Sake Brewing Process

To make beer or sake, the sugar needed to produce alcohol must first be converted from starch. But the brewing process for sake differs from beer brewing as well, notably in that for beer, the conversion of starch to sugar and sugar to alcohol occurs in two discrete steps, but with sake they occur simultaneously. The result is a light-yellow liquid with a slightly sweet taste that can be enjoyed hot or cold (usually depending on the type of sake it is).

Alcohol Content of Sake

Also depending on the brand, sake’s alcohol content can range from 12 percent to 16 percent. Additionally, alcohol content also differs between sake, wine, and beer. Wine generally contains 9–16% alcohol and most beer is 3–9%, whereas undiluted sake is 18–20% alcohol, although this is often lowered to around 15% by diluting the sake with water prior to bottling.

Sake Serving Temperature

In Japan sake is served chilled, at room temperature, or heated, depending on the preference of the drinker, the quality of the sake, and the season. Typically, hot sake is a winter drink, and high-grade sake is not drunk hot, because the flavors and aromas will be lost. This masking of flavor is the reason that low-quality sake is often served hot.

Sake Sets – Choko and Tokkuri

Sake Sets - Choko and Tokkuri

Sake is usually drunk from small cups called choko and poured into the choko from ceramic flasks called tokkuri. Saucer-like cups called sakazuki are also used, most commonly at weddings and other ceremonial occasions.

Although, Sake is sometimes called rice wine, but in truth, it is not a wine, nor is it exactly a beer, nor a spirit. Sake is a rather unique type of fermented alcohol.

Buy a Sake set.
Warm Sake Set – Ceramic Heated Sake Carafe with 4 glasses
Spring Blossom Sake Set F 301
Japanese Sake set / cherry blossom