JAPANESE SAKE - ESSENTIALS IN BARTENDING & COCKTAILS

The world of the Japanese alcohol Sake is unknown to many.   This ancient beverage has been around for centuries, but still relatively unknown to the western world. Here we aim to change that. Let's discuss what we're going to cover in this course. 

Welcome to Japanese Sake!

Sake consists of two basic types, Futsu-shu and Tokutei meisho-shu. Futsu-shu is the ordinary Sake comparable to table wine and makes up the biggest production amounts. Tokutei mei sho-shu, on the other hand is are Special Designation Sake or Premium Sake which is distinguished by factors like the finesse with which polishing of rice has been accomplished, percentage of brewer’s alcohol added or the complete absence of brewer’s alcohol.

Here we'll discuss what's the difference between Special Designation/Premium Sake.

Tokutei mei sho-shu or Special Designation/Premium Sake are the famous "sexy" Sakes in the Japanese world. However, there are many other types of Sake that can be enjoyed as well. Some of these Sakes can be considered Premium, but some are not. It's all about how the Sake was produced and less dependent on rice polishing.

Here we'll discuss all the other types of lesser known Sake.

Discussing flavors and aromas can be difficult at times as we all have different tolerances and palates. You may or may not be able to taste or smell what I do and vice versa.

Flavors and aromas really depends on the breweries, brands, where it’s made, etc.   There are 4 basic words to describe the taste of sake; rich (Hojun / 芳醇)and clean (Tanrei / 淡麗) for flavor, and fragrant (Hanayaka / 華やか)and moderate (Odayaka / 穏やか) for aroma.

‘Rich’ is used for heaviness, thick texture, savoriness, full-body, high acidity and sweetness, whereas ‘Clean’ is used for smooth texture and light body. As for aroma, ‘Fragrant’ is for fruity, floral and other types of distinct aromas. On the other hand, ‘Moderate’ is used for little aromas.

In this section we'll learn about  general flavors and aromas commonly found.

Although Sake is generally associated with Japanese food, it can be a great companion to many non-Asian meals. Sake can also be used in place of wine when cooking, with great results. As with wine and food pairings, you can either try to match or contrast the flavors of the Sake with the food. Sake can be incredibly complex and there are many different aspects to its taste.

In general, it has a lower acidity than wine and no tannins or preservatives. The flavors can range from herbal and nutty to fruity and floral, to rice-like. While most foods can be paired with Sake, very strongly flavored foods or heavily spiced meals are generally not good choices. Unlike wine, Sake works very well as an accompaniment to foods using heavier amounts of vinegar or soy sauce. The secret of Sake and food pairing is to experiment. There’s no wrong combination as long as you enjoy it.

Tasting Sake can be difficult as some flavors are very subtle. Learning how to taste and evaluate Sake is a bit different from tasting other alcohols. In this section, we'll learn how to taste like the experts do.

Just like wine, Sake can have flaws or "faults" that cause off flavors, colors and aromas. Here we'll outline a few to be on the look out for.

Sake labels can be confusing, especially if you don't read Japanese. Here we'll explain what characters or "Kanji" to look for on a label to pick a quality Sake. Also, make sure to read the attached, "Sake Labels Detailed PDF" as it breaks down each part of a Sake label in great detail.

In Japan, heating up Japanese Sake is called ‘Okan suru’ and Japanese Sake served warm is called ‘Kanzake’. This uniquely Japanese method of heating Sake has a surprisingly long history and can be dated back over 2000 years.

While not meant for all types of Sake, it can be enjoyable to serve some types of Sake warm or even hot.

Here we'll cover a couple methods to warm your Sake properly.

Here you'll get to learn more about some Sake storage tips; if you don't drink your Sake all at once or if you want to keep for longer periods of time. We look at how best to store Sake, at what temperature and "expiration", which could really be considered best to enjoy by dates.

Japan stretches far from north to south, so it is only natural that each region has its own climate and cuisine. The raw materials used to make sake, mainly rice and kobo yeast, also differ somewhat by region, so the character of the sake served with the local cuisine is somewhat different, as well.

Here we’ll divide the country into 10 regions, and describe the general distinctive characteristics and select a brand of sake from each one, that represents its style.

Rice, Water, Koji mold & yeast. These are the basic building blocks of Sake. This ancient beverage from Japan is little known but can be quite flavorful and different from one another depending on many factors, the degree of which each rice grain was "polished" being the most important.

In this lecture, you'll learn how Sake is made from start to finish.

Tōji in Japanese means head brewer. In Japanese society, Tōji is a highly respected job with the same regard as people have for its painters, musicians and other artists. Each Tōji is associated with a particular school of Sake brewing.     

To pinpoint the exact time of Sake’s origin is difficult. But it is believed that historically Sake could be linked to the history of Japanese liquor, or of rice-based liquors. This makes Sake at least 2,500 years old as this was also the time when cultivation of rice became prevalent in Japan.

In this article we'll review Sake's ancient Japanese heritage from its beginnings to more recent times.