Sake: Simple, Tasty, and very Cool

  If there is any alcoholic beverage more misunderstood that Sake, our market isn't ready for it. And, I speak from experience. The first time I had it, undoubtedly in a Japanese restaurant many years ago, was the last until recently, when I spotted a variety of sakes in a local liquor store. I had always wandered across the isle for years and my decision to take a look not only revealed a plethora of wonderful foods, but allowed me to discover the pleasure of a long-disdained drink.

  The cool news: These high-end sakes are meant to be drunk over ice, or at least chilled. Depending on what you get, tasting several is the only way to go. Each of them will taste them slightly differently and some may even have a creamy quality. Whatever you do, savor each one... they are full of surprises. Now, surely, to each his own. Millions of people drink "restaurant" sake and like it just fine. But trust me on this: If you like that, you're going to love the fine sakes available, you are in for a treat. In fact, sake aficionados will tell you that it's actually a spiritual experience to drink sake, that they may even get a little emotional, not to mention it contains nutrients that have been known to boost the human heart.

  Simply put, sakes are wines made from rice and water and while various sources say "it's the rice", it really is a combination of the skill of the brewer, the source of the water as well as the type of rice used that will determine the final quality and taste. The acidity in the water is incredibly important so on each bottle look for an acidity grade. Acidity affects how the flavor spreads, and also the sensation of sweet or dry. The range is quite narrow, with 0.7 being low and 2.0 being quite high. Perhaps 1.2 or so is average. Sapporo has been known to produce some of the best sake due to it's hot springs. The water is known to have a variable acidity and contains loads of minerals from the volcanic center.
  Generally speaking, there are four types of sake categorized by how polished the rice is, and whether grain alcohol has been added. Junmai-shu is made from rice and water only. Honjozo-shu is made from rice, water and a small amount of distilled alcohol for lightness and dryness and more fragrance. Ginjo-shu is a more highly milled rice and may be made with or without alcohol. Daiginjo-shu is made with an even more highly milled rice and with or without alcohol.

  What differentiates the milling is the percentage of the grain that is removed. The more skin and protein removed (about 20 percent is taken away for table rice), the purer the starch content and the finer the sake will be. At the very least, thirty percent is milled away and, for the premium wines, forty percent. As much as sixty five percent may be milled away for truly superior sakes. Junmai-shu is milled thirty percent, Ginjo-shu forty percent, Daiginjo-shu from fifty to sixty five percent. Hard water with high mineral content yields a fuller sake, soft water a fresher, cleaner tasting brew. And, unlike grape-based wines, it needs to "balance" only six months before drinking. In fact, sakes are best when fresh (soon after release) and shouldn't be kept for more than a week or so after being opened. Sake requires a double chemical process, first turning the rice starch to sugar (saccharification), then turning the sugar to alcohol (fermentation), using enzymes in the air and water versus chemical additives used by some wine and beer makers to complete their processes.

  The history of sake begins in Japan, of course, then moves to Hawaii where Japanese countrymen were recruited to work in the sugar cane fields. About fifteen breweries were built in California at the beginning of the twentieth century, but all have disappeared since World War II. Later, around 1977, Japanese brewers began setting up shop in California and today some of Japans biggest operations have U.S. breweries which produce about two million gallons a year. Now, the race is on to produce a superior American-made wine.

  From a dining standpoint, while you may serve a different grape-based wine to complement each course, when you serve sake, it's the star, and the food is varied to complement the wine. And, with the now long-standing trend in low-fat eating, it's a perfect accompaniment to pasta, seafood and, of course, anything Thai, Chinese or Vietnamese as well as Japanese.


Our Top Sake Brand Picks

There are about 1600 sake breweries in Japan. Each produces at least several grades and/or types of sake. Each of these will change somewhat from year to year. So to make things a little easier, we picked out a few brands to try:


Juyondai
The output of this brewery became very popular about 10 years ago. They are known for their elegant, fruity, and fragrant flavors.



Isojiman
This brewery is well known for its passionate workers, who have devoted themselves to use only the finest materials and innovative technology.



Kubota
Of the Kubota sakes, the Hekijyu is the most expensive and rarest one. It is known for it's clean, elegant and extremely smooth taste with complexities of flavour and body.


Urakasumi
Selecting only choice sake rice in order to make the finest sake, the Urakasumi brewery uses rice grown locally in Miyagi.



Kokuryu
Kokuryu is one of the most popular sake in Japan these days, having sneaked into the limelight over the last decade.