Put your nose to the grindstone

Sake is a traditionally Japanese drink made from rice and water. It harbors the elegance of champagne, the fun of beer, and the complexity of whiskey. In one word: multifaceted. Yet, to the uninitiated, sake can come across as a stiff and formal drink.

While sake is something of a sacred tradition and craft, it has always also been a companion to good times and good company. Sake commonly contains an alcohol percentage between 13% and 16%, akin to wine, and as such can be served all night long.

Sake can be enjoyed both warm and chilled. Chilled sake is a refreshing experience and accompanies many moods. Warming the sake awakens a deeper layer of fragrance and taste contained in the coldness, like the petals of a flower opening slowly.

To make premium sake part of the rice grain can be polished. Liken it to a diamond: polishing increases refinement. Sake from polished rice is classified as ‘Ginjo’ when less than 60% of the original grain remains.

That having been said, a rough diamond also has many qualities and refinement is a matter of taste. Oftentimes, the old Japanese rice famers (and wisdom does come with age, they say) prefer the rich tones of the unpolished Junmaishu.

Breweries of 300 years old are no exception in Japan. And while 90% are traditional family brewers, time is not at a standstill everywhere. Many brewers balance a respect for tradition with an innovative outlook on the future, and consequently brew surprising and high quality sake.

The sake brewing process is dynamic. While some brewers use yeast carried on a gust of wind, others are working with fruit, fizziness, and carbon filtering. You can find diluted; aged; unpasteurized; and unfiltered sakes, all with a distinct effect on the eventual flavour.

Sake is brewed and enjoyed in many different ways all over Japan’s 47 prefectures. This difference in style can be explained by an interplay of climate, cuisine & culture. In the North the sake is generally lighter and drier, in the south stronger and sweeter.

From Asian to Mediterranean, from fish to cheese: sake complements a wide range of flavors. At sea level the Sake is commonly light and supple, matching the abundant sashimi. At higher altitudes, where fish don’t swim, sake goes with the pickled food: a stronger, fuller sake.