From grain to glass: The story of Japanese sake

ByJo Davey

Published September 29, 2023

• 8 min read

The first thing to know about sake is that describing it can be as difficult as deciphering the label. It very much stands alone in terms of production style and flavour, meaning comparisons fall short. It’s often described as rice wine — rice is one of its key ingredients and it has a similar alcohol content to its grape-based cousin, but tastes nothing like it and is actually brewed more like a beer. Despite looking and tasting a little like a spirit, its typical alcohol content of 18% to 20% means it isn’t categorised as one. Even if you speak Japanese, its description is vague. Sake, or o-sake as it’s also called, simply means ‘alcohol’. What we in the West know as sake is called nihonshu (Japanese alcohol) in Japan, but is also labelled as seishu. It’s a complex lexicon that adds to sake’s seemingly undefinable intrigue.

A brief history

The first mention of sake is thought to come from a third-century Chinese text called The Book of Wei, which mentions the drink in the context of Japanese funerary ceremonies: “As the chief mourner begins crying, the rest start singing, dancing and drinking sake.” The beverage has long been connected with religion; legends tell of it defeating evil spirits and some people believe you grow closer to god by drinking it. It’s still drunk at modern weddings, New Year, festivals and funerals. Monks once made their own ceremonial sake, but now breweries donate barrels for ritual use within Shinto shrines and for offerings in the New Year.

The idea to ferment rice-based alcohol came about in Japan, around 300 BCE, which was then developed and refined to become sake. The ‘modern’ version appeared in the 700s, but it went through some rather unappetising versions beforehand. The first domestic records of sake speak of kuchikamizake, a drink made by villagers chewing on rice, spitting into a communal pot, and letting natural saliva enzymes ferment the liquid into alcohol.

The ingredients and production process

Today’s sake relies on four main ingredients: water, rice, yeast and koji, a mold with various culinary purposes. Sake-specific rice is polished to expose the starchy interior. It’s then soaked, steamed and cooled before koji spores are scattered across it, creating a ‘mash’.

The koji converts starch into sugar, which yeast then turns into alcohol during fermentation. After this, the mash is pressed, filtered and then usually pasteurised. Traditionally, sake was always brewed during mid-winter, taking around 40 days to make.

You can witness the various brewing stages in many of the 1,000-plus sakagura (sake breweries) spread across Japan’s alpine spine, breathing in the sweet, warm scents of yeast and rice captured between high wood beams and dark dappled floorboards. Taking a tour and tasting the moreish, hard-won results is a remarkable way to connect with one of Japan’s most historic cultural pillars.

Try the myriad breweries in Kobe’s cluster of sake-producing coastal villages — known collectively as Nada-Gogō — or sip sake beneath a cherry-blossom tree in Takayama’s Funasaka Brewery courtyard. Alternatively, head north to Fukushima’s famous Suehiro Brewery, housed in a wooden building that’s built, incredibly, without nails. Or visit the informative Aizu Sake Museum in the town of Aizu Wakamatsu.

Though sake doesn’t have the same dependence on terroir as wine, its style and flavour can vary, thanks to fluctuations in the amount of water added, as well as individual brewing styles.

On the west coast of Honshu, Japan’s largest island, you’ll find Niigata Prefecture, the most prolific sake-producing region in the country. In south-central Honshu, there’s also Nara and Kyoto — two cities that served as Japanese capitals during the eighth, and eighth to 19th centuries respectively — where sake has long been a staple. Here, the drink is smooth and slightly sweet. To the west, Hiroshima’s soft water produces mellow alcohol, while to Kyoto’s north, Ishikawa is known for complex sakes brewed using airborne yeasts. In Kyushu’s warm, rice-rich south, sake is sweeter, while colder northern climes like Fukushima and Akita produce bolder flavours.

One of the reasons sake is often compared to wine is because it has similar broad uses and complexities. Sake can be dry or sweet, floral and aromatic, deep and creamy, light and fruity. It can be sipped chilled, at room temperature or hot. Sake is also finally being seen globally as an alternative food accompaniment to wine. The Japanese saying ‘sake doesn’t fight food’ holds true: it cuts through fried specialities, pairs perfectly with raw foods and seafood, and even matches rich, heavier meat dishes. Sake’s low acidity means it complements many fruits, cheeses, tomatoes and even smoked meats.

This flexibility is one reason why sake has survived and continues to evolve. The relatively recent introduction of sparkling sake has enticed a younger demographic to the drink, while aged sakes are becoming highly sought after. The export market is exploding, with China now the largest consumer outside Japan, followed by the US. Cocktail bars worldwide have swiftly embraced Japan’s traditional tipple, introducing drinks like ‘saketinis’. Breweries have also opened internationally, popping up in the UK, Canada, Brazil, South Korea, the US and Australia. Still, the finest place to experience sake is its homeland, where the freshest water and finest rice are brewed into an enduring and deliciously unique drink.