How to Drink Sake, Japan's Iconic Spirit

A primer on how to drink sake mirrors that of Japanese whisky: you savor it. Considered the national drink of Japan, sake has served as a staple in Japanese cuisine and culture for centuries (as has awamori). Nowadays, you don’t have to travel far to sip on this iconic spirit. According to the Japanese Sake and Shochu Makers Association, sake exports from Japan to the U.S. have more than doubled over the last decade.

"The importation of premium sake began about 30 years ago, and refrigeration has helped with quality control, diversity of flavors, and enjoyment of sake to the market,” Hitoshi Utsunomiya, director of Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, told Men’s Journal.

There are close to 30 sake breweries in the U.S. according to the Sake Brewers Association of North America, and sake bars, sake-tasting menus, and sake-based cocktails have become commonplace in restaurants and bottle shops as the craft sake scene continues to flourish in cities large and small across the country—not unlike how craft beer, bourbon, and tequila have exploded in popularity over the last few decades.

For sake sommelier at Japanese fine-dining restaurant Matsu in San Diego, CA, Kim Roxas says sharing sake's story with her guests is one of the best parts of being a somm.

“It’s our job to help share sake with the world and help smaller producers and breweries in Japan who've been there for hundreds of years and the generations of families that have started these sake breweries,” Roxas says. “Their sakes are so consistent and so delicious—and that’s something I’m very prideful about.”

With all that history and tradition on its shoulders, how are you supposed to drink sake without doing a disservice to its culture? There's a set of unspoken rules that, luckily, we've compiled below to help you blend in on your next trip to the sake bar.

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What Is Sake?

The four main ingredients in sake are rice, water, yeast, and koji. While the first three ingredients may sound familiar, koji is a fermentation-spurring mold or fungus that's integral to Japanese cooking and is found in everything from miso to soy sauce and shoyu.

Koji gives saké its flavor by inoculating and breaking down the starches found in the rice. There’s even a saying used by Japanese sake brewers, “Ichi koji, ni moto, san tsukuri,” which translates to, "Koji first, starter culture second, and brewing third."

Basically, when it comes to brewing sake, making koji rice is the first step in the process. Just like you can’t brew beer without yeast (without it, there wouldn’t be fermentation), you can’t make sake without koji.

How to Properly Drink Sake

Similar to wine, the key to enjoying sake is simply to savor it.

“There are a lot of parallels to wine in terms of how you can drink sake, and just like wine, there are different vessels and glassware that can help draw out the aromas and flavors,” Roxas says.

Just like you would with whiskey or a glass of red wine, there are some sakes, especially aged sakes, called koshu, that Roxas says she would serve in a Bordeaux glass: “You want to let that sake open up and get expressive just like a wine or a whiskey,” she says.

One of the best ways to try a variety of sakes is as simple as ordering it the next time you’re at a Japanese restaurant.

“We get sake beginners and people who have only tried hot sake, because that's what’s most common here in the U.S.," says Roxas. "Many people don’t know you can try chilled sake that’s served in a wine glass and, just like beer and wine, there are different types and temperatures you can serve it at.”

If you want to drink sake at home, Roxas says there are no hard and fast rules. “It’s as simple as finding a bottle, opening it up, and having fun with it.”

However, there is etiquette involved when drinking with others. You want to make sure you pour their glass of sake first before pouring a glass for yourself. Once the sake has been poured, it’s also tradition to say cheers, or kanpai in Japanese, before drinking.

What's the Average Sake Alcohol Content?

As the old sake adage goes: Sake is built like beer, but drinks like wine. While it varies, generally speaking, sake alcohol content can be anywhere between 13 percent and 17 percent ABV, which makes it great for cocktails.

“It has a lower ABV, so it’s still giving you that nice boozy effect, but you can have more variety and try different things,” Roxas says.

How Do You Pronounce Sake?

When you order sake at a Japanese restaurant or bar in the U.S., pronounce it “sah-keh,” not “sah-kee.” You'll likely be greeted with a sake flight or tasting menu. However, if you’re ordering sake at a restaurant or bar in Japan, you might be surprised to find that sake is actually called nihonshu (nee-hone-shoe).

“The word 'sake' in Japan just means alcohol, so if you're at a bar or restaurant in Japan and want to order sake, they’re going to be like, ‘Well, do you want a cocktail, do you want a glass of wine?’ " says Roxas. In other words, you're just ordering alcohol in general. Nihonshu is a more specific choice, which relates to the traditional Japanese rice wine you'd expect.

Additionally, sake can be made and sold anywhere. But nihonshu is heavily regulated. Similar to how bourbon can only be made in the U.S., nihonshu must be made in Japan and only contain four ingredients: rice, water, yeast, and koji.

What Types of Sakes Are There?

??Beyond just hot or cold, filtered or unfiltered, there are a variety of sakes based on their rice polish ratio (RPR). There’s also a wide variety of sake varieties, including sparkling sakes and aged ages sakes called koshus. But, as far as the most common sake types, here's what you’ll find on a menu or your local bottle shop:

Ginjo/Junmai Ginjo

Ginjos and junmai ginjo both fall in the premium sake category. With an RPR of 40 or higher, flavor profiles found in ginjos range from fruity to dry, making them easy sippers. Serve chilled or at room temperature for maximum umami.

Daiginjo/Junmai Daiginjo

Sake somms like Roxas love daiginjos and junmai daiginjos due to the higher level of craftsmanship that goes into the production process. With an RPR of 50 or higher, daiginjos include a wide variety of flavor profiles that are typically clean and brisk, making them premium pours.

Namazake

An unpasteurized or raw sake that must be refrigerated, namazake is a bit brighter and crisper on the palate and should be consumed faster than other sake varieties.

Nigori

Also known as cloudy or milky sake, nigori is exclusively served chilled due to its unfiltered nature and typically has a sweet, silky, smooth flavor profile that's great with dessert or paired with something spicy.

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What's the Difference Between Hot and Cold Sake?

There's not much of a difference when considering how to drink hot sake versus cold versus room temp, but more so in the caliber of the spirit.

While sake can be served and enjoyed at different temperatures, a good rule of thumb to remember is that chilled and room temperature sakes tend to be on the more premium side, while hot sakes are usually a bit lower in quality.

“Some people already have a bad taste in their mouth when it comes to sake because they’ve only tried hot sake, or they got drunk on hot sake because they were taking shots of it,” Roxas says. “You don’t want to take shots of sake.”

As far as optimal serving temperatures, Roxas says if you’re going to buy a medium- to top-shelf bottle, chilling your sake will allow you to get the most aromas and flavors. “There are some sakes I would serve and drink poured over a big rock because it’s that good, and you want to sip on it and enjoy chilled,” Roxas says. “If its a sake you really like, you’ll find the right temperature."

How to Pair Sake With Food

Unlike the bold flavors found in other spirits, the beauty of sake lies in its simplicity.

“If there’s one quote I really love, it’s, ‘Sake does not fight with food,’ ” Roxas says. “Sake has low acidity levels, which is really nice, so you can pair more easily than wine.”

Sake’s softer texture also means you’re getting an abundance of umami flavor, making it ideal to pair with fish, vegetables, eggs, and other foods that can otherwise be difficult to pair with.

While the world is literally your oyster when it comes to pairing sake, Utsunomiya says not to sleep on sake next time you’re eating your favorite snacks as well.

“Sake also goes well with salty ham and cheese. It may seem strange, but I also recommend the combination with pizza,” he says.

History of Sake

The story of sake dates back thousands of years. While its origins are rooted in ancient China, the technique of fermenting rice and turning it into an alcoholic beverage is believed to have developed in Japan around 300 BC, with the introduction of rice cultivation and farming.

In more than 2,000 years since then, rice has not only served as a staple in Japanese cooking, but also in sake production. The methods involved in making sake have evolved right along with it.

At the peak of sake production during Japan’s Meiji period (1858–1912), it was estimated there were anywhere between 10,000 to 20,000 sake breweries around the country. For centuries, sake has been enjoyed as a special occasion beverage for everything from weddings and festivals to funerals.

However, the industrialization of sake production, coupled with the abundance of other widely available alcoholic beverages has caused a decline in domestic demand for sake over the years. With fewer than 2,000 sake breweries in Japan left, if you do have the opportunity to visit and support a sake brewery on your travels, you shouldn’t sleep on the opportunity to do so.

Related: How to Drink Shochu, the Japanese Spirit More Popular Than Sake