About Sake

Sake is very new to New Zealand, as it is to many other countries. For this reason, it’s not always easy to get authentic information about this very interesting beverage. That’s why we are very happy to take this opportunity to share our knowledge of sake with you.

Sake is very new to New Zealand, as it is to many other countries. For this reason, it’s not always easy to get authentic information about this very interesting beverage. That’s why we are very happy to take this opportunity to share our knowledge of sake with you.

  • Sake is a fermented rice wine, not a distilled spirit.

The process used to make sake is similar to wine or beer making. Average alcohol percentage of sake is 11-15%

  • Sake has a rich umami flavour.

One of the best things about sake is that, as far as beverages go, it is among the richest in umami that pleasant savoury taste that we all love. Umami is found naturally in many tasty food, such as cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, seaweed and aged beef so sake pairs very well with food like these.

  • Should I drink sake cold or warm?

We are often asked this question. Our answer is that some sake is suitable to drink warm and Warm sake (called Atsukan in Japanese) is great when it’s cold outside. The warming process also serves to enhance the Umami flavour, sweetness, and slightly sour flavour of the sake really adding to the enjoyment-just as the slight sourness of a sweet orange makes it especially nice. 

Most premium sake having fruity aroma is best enjoyed chilled. 

  • Some sake needs to be kept in a chiller all the time. Otherwise the taste is destroyed.

Sake does not contain any preservatives and for this reason, premium sake especially, needs to be kept chilled all the times to maintain its excellent taste and flavour subtleties.

  • the premium sake brewers do not bulk supply bottle shops or restaurants with their sake.
You can use this knowledge when viewing drink menus to learn which brewers offer lower quality sake and should perhaps be avoided. If you would like to know which fine restaurants & bars in New Zealand serve premium sake or cocktails, I’m more than happy to give you my advice😊

Masatomo Takahashi
SSI Japan Kikisake-shi – Sake sommelier