Start here · How to enjoy
No rigid rules.
Chilled, at room temperature or gently warmed; in a wine glass, ceramic cup or simple tumbler.
Think beyond sushi
- Fresh and aromatic with salads, lightly spiced dishes and delicate starters.
- Dry and clean with fried food, grilled fish, yakitori or salty small plates.
- Fuller junmai with mushrooms, roast poultry, pork and aged cheese.
- Sweet kijoshu or umeshu with pâté, blue cheese, fruit desserts—or after dinner.
01 · The essentials
Four ingredients.
Extraordinary range.
Sake is not a rice wine and not a spirit. It is a fermented Japanese drink in a category of its own.
Its foundation is rice, water, koji mould and yeast. Koji converts rice starch into sugar while yeast turns that sugar into alcohol. Both happen together in the same tank—a distinctive process called multiple parallel fermentation.
02 · The process
How sake is brewed.
- Polishing removes the outer layers of the rice grain.
- Washing, soaking and steaming prepare the rice with precision.
- Koji making cultivates koji mould on part of the steamed rice.
- Starter culture builds a healthy population of yeast.
- Fermentation combines rice, koji, water and starter in stages.
- Pressing and finishing separate the liquid before maturation and bottling.
03 · Styles
Understanding
the label.
Junmai
Made from rice, water, koji and yeast without added distilled alcohol. Often valued for depth, structure and food compatibility.
Ginjo & Daiginjo
More highly polished rice and careful low-temperature fermentation typically produce lighter, more aromatic sake. Daiginjo requires at least half of each rice grain to be polished away.
Kijoshu
Part of the brewing water is replaced with sake, creating a richer, sweeter and more concentrated style.
Rice polishing ratio tells you how much of the original grain remains: 55% means 45% has been polished away.
04 · Stories & culture
Culture in
every cup.
Kanpai
The shared toast marks the beginning of a meal or gathering. Wait until everyone has a drink, raise the cup, say kanpai, and take a sip—a small ritual that turns separate glasses into a shared occasion.
A drink for the seasons
Freshly pressed shinshu arrives in winter; spring brings celebratory drinking beneath cherry blossom; summer favours bright chilled styles; autumn’s rested hiyaoroshi returns with rounded maturity.
Pouring for others
At a shared Japanese table, people traditionally pour sake for one another. It is not a rule for modern drinking, but it captures something essential about sake: attentiveness to the people around the table.
05 · Care
Keep it fresh.
Store unopened sake upright in a cool, dark place away from heat and strong light. Once opened, reseal and refrigerate. Delicate aromatic styles are usually best enjoyed sooner; richer styles may remain expressive for longer.