Dedicated sake barrels at Itsukushima Shrine. Itsukushima Shrine ( Japanese: 厳島神社 Itsukushima Jinja) is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as

Sake brewery, Takayama

Sake (pronounced [sa.kɛ] Listen (help·info)) is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. is a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of May 1, 2007 the city has an estimated Population of 95778 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many

This article uses the word "sake" as it is used in English, as the name for this specific Japanese alcoholic beverage made from rice. However, in Japanese, the word sake (Japanese: 酒; usually preceded by the honorific prefix o-) means alcohol or alcoholic beverages in general and not exclusively to this specific single beverage; instead, the word Nihonshu 日本酒 (literally, "Japanese alcoholic beverage") is used to distinguish it from other beverages. is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities The Japanese language has many Honorifics parts of speech which show Respect, and their use is mandatory in many social situations In English, the word "sake" always refers to Nihonshu. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

Sake is also referred to in English as "Japanese rice wine," but the characterisation implied is not accurate. Rice wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from Rice. Unlike Wine, which is made by fermentation of naturally sweet Grapes and other Wine is made from the single fermentation of plant juices (other than sparkling wine, which can be a double fermentation to create the carbonation). Sake is produced by multiple fermentation of rice, which is more similar to how beer is produced. Fermentation in Food processing typically refers to the conversion of Sugar to Alcohol using Yeast under Anaerobic conditions Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea

Other beverages

The word "sake" can also refer to different beverages in different regions of Japan:

• In Southern Kyūshū, sake usually refers to a distilled beverage, sweet potato shōchū (imo-jōchū 芋焼酎). or Kyushu is the third-largest Island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. The sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas) is a Dicotyledonous plant which belongs to the family Convolvulaceae is an Alcoholic beverage of Japan, most commonly distilled from Barley, Sweet potato or Rice. Shōchū is a distilled spirit made with kōji-kin (麹 or 糀), Aspergillus oryzae. Aspergillus oryzae ( Chinese: 麴菌 麴霉菌 曲霉菌 Pinyin: qū meí jùn Japanese: 麹 麹菌 or kōji-kin, Korean Aspergillus oryzae ( Chinese: 麴菌 麴霉菌 曲霉菌 Pinyin: qū meí jùn Japanese: 麹 麹菌 or kōji-kin, Korean
• In Okinawa, sake may refer to shōchū made from sugar cane, awamori (泡盛, literally "heaping bubbles"), or kūsu (古酒, literally "ancient drink"). is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae Awamori ( 泡盛) is an Alcoholic beverage indigenous to and unique to Okinawa, Japan.

History

The history of sake is not well documented and there are multiple theories on how it was developed. One theory suggests that the brewing of rice started in China, along the Yangtze River and was subsequently exported to Japan. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Another theory traces sake brewing back to 3rd century Japan with the advent of wet rice cultivation. The 3rd century is the period from 201 to 300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The combination of water and rice lying around together would have resulted in molds and fermentation.

Regardless, the first sake was called kuchikami no sake, (Japanese for "chewing the mouth sake" or mouth chewed sake) and was made by people chewing rice, chestnuts, millet, acorn and spitting the mixture into a tub. Chestnut ( Castanea) (including some chinkapin or Chinquapin) is a Genus of eight or nine Species of Deciduous The millets are a group of small- Seeded Species of Cereal crops or grains widely grown around the world for Food and Fodder The acorn is the nut of the Oak tree (genera Quercus, Lithocarpus and Cyclobalanopsis, in the The enzymes from the saliva allowed the starches to saccharify (convert to sugar). Glucose (Glc a Monosaccharide (or simple Sugar) also known as grape sugar, is an important Carbohydrate in Biology. This sweet mixture was combined with freshly cooked grain and allowed to naturally ferment. This early form of sake was likely low in alcohol and consumed like porridge. Porridge, or porage, is a simple dish made by boiling Oats (normally crushed oats occasionally Oatmeal) or another cereal in Water This method was used by Native Americans; see cauim, and pulque. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Cauim is a traditional Alcoholic beverage or Beer of the Indigenous peoples in Brazil since pre-Columbian times Pulque, or octli, is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of the Maguey, and is a traditional native beverage Chinese millet wine, xiǎo mǐ jǐu (小米酒), made the same way, is mentioned in inscriptions from the 14th century BC as being offered to the gods in religious rituals. Later, from approximately the 8th century BC, rice wine, mǐ jǐu (米酒) with a formula almost exactly like that of the later Japanese sake, became popular in China. The 8th century BC started the first day of 800 BC and ended the last day of 701 BC.

Centuries later, chewing was rendered unnecessary by the discovery of kōji-kin (麹菌 Aspergillus oryzae), a mold whose enzymes convert the starch in the rice to sugar, which is also used to make amazake, miso, and soy sauce. Aspergillus oryzae ( Chinese: 麴菌 麴霉菌 曲霉菌 Pinyin: qū meí jùn Japanese: 麹 麹菌 or kōji-kin, Korean WikipediaManual_of_Style#National_varieties_of_English --> Molds (or is a traditional sweet low-alcoholic Japanese drink made from fermented Rice. is a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting Rice, Barley and/or Soybeans, with salt and the fungus (the most typical miso is made Soy sauce ( US) soya sauce ( Commonwealth) shoyu ( Japan) or sillao ( Peru) is a fermented Sauce Rice inoculated with kōji-kin is called "kome-kōji" (米麹), or malt rice. A yeast mash, or shubo (酒母), is then added to convert the sugars to ethanol. This development can greatly increase sake's alcohol content (18%–25% by vol. ); as starch is converted to sugar by kōji, sugars are converted to alcohol by yeast in one instantaneous process.

Kōji-kin was discovered most likely by accident. Kōji spores and yeast floating in the air would land in a soupy rice-water mixture left outside. The resulting fermentation would create a sake porridge not unlike the kuchikami no sake but without the hassle of needing a whole village to chew the rice. This porridge was probably not the best tasting, but the intoxication was enough to keep people interested in making it. Some of this mash would be kept as a starter for the next batch. Fermentation starters (called simply starters within the corresponding context are preparations to assist the beginning of the fermentation process in preparation

Experimentation and techniques from China sometime in the 7th century AD gave rise to higher quality sake. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The 7th century is the period from 601 to 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Sake eventually became popular enough for a brewing organization to be established at the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, then the capital of Japan. (IPA /kʲoːto / is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. This resulted in full-time sake brewers, and these craftsmen paved the way for many more developments in technique. It was during the Heian Era (794-1185) that the development of the three step addition in the brewing process was developed (a technique to increase alcohol content and reduce chance of souring).

For the next 500 years the quality and techniques used in brewing sake steadily improved. The practice of using a starter mash or "moto" was adopted, for the purpose of cultivating the maximum possible amount of yeast cells before brewing . Brewers were also able to isolate kōji for the first time and, thus, were able to control with some consistency the saccharification (converting starch to sugar) of the rice.

Through observation and trial and error, a form of pasteurization was also developed. Batches of sake that began to sour due to bacteria during the summer months were poured out of their barrels into tanks and heated. However, the resulting pasteurized sake would then be returned to the bacteria infected barrels. Hence the sake would become more sour and, by the time fall came around, the sake would be unpalatable. The principles behind pasteurization (and better methods of storing sake) would not be understood until Louis Pasteur discovered them some 500 years later. Pasteurization is the process of heating Liquids for the purpose of destroying bacteria, Protozoa, Molds and Yeasts The process was Louis Pasteur (27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895 a French Chemist and Microbiologist, is best known for remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and

During the Meiji Restoration, laws were written that allowed anybody with the money and know-how to construct and operate their own sake breweries. The, also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, or Renewal, was a chain of events that led to enormous changes in Japan 's political and social structure Around 30,000 breweries sprang up around the country within a year. However, as the years went by, the government levied more and more taxes on the sake industry and slowly the number of breweries dwindled to 8,000.

Most of the breweries that grew and survived this period were set up by wealthy landowners. Landowners who grew rice crops would have rice left over at the end of the season and, rather than letting this stash of rice go to waste, would ship it to their breweries. The most successful of these family breweries still operate today.

During the 20th century, sake-brewing technology grew by leaps and bounds. The government opened the sake-brewing research institute in 1904 and, in 1907 the very first government-run sake tasting/competition was held. Yeast strains specifically selected for their brewing properties were isolated and enamel-coated steel tanks arrived. The government started hailing the use of enamel tanks as easy to clean, lasting forever, and being devoid of bacterial problems. (The government considered wooden barrels to be "unhygienic" because of the potential bacteria living in the wood. ) Although these things are true, the government also wanted more tax money from breweries as the wood in wooden barrels sucks up a significant amount of sake (somewhere around 3%) that could have otherwise been taxed. This was the end of the wooden-barrel age of sake and the use of wooden barrels in brewing was completely eliminated.

In Japan, sake has long been taxed by the federal government. In 1898 this tax brought in about 55 million yen out of a total of about 120 million yen, so about 46% of the government's total direct tax income^[1]

During the Russo-Japanese War in 1904–1905, the government banned the home brewing of sake. The Russo-Japanese War (日露戦争 Romaji: Nichi-Ro Sensō Русско-японская война Russko-Yaponskaya Voyna;, 10 February 1904 – 5 September At the time, sake made up an astonishing 30% of Japan's tax revenue. Since home brewed sake is tax-free sake, the logic was that by banning the home brewing of sake, sales would go up, and more tax money would be collected. This was the end of "doburoku" (homebrewed) sake, and the law remains in effect today even though sake sales now make up only 2% of government income.

When World War II erupted, the sake-brewing industry was dealt a hefty blow as the government clamped down on the use of rice for brewing. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Most of the rice grown during this time was used for the war effort, and this, in conjunction with many other problems, was the end for thousands of breweries all over Japan.

Previously, it had been discovered that small amounts of alcohol could be added to sake to improve aroma and texture. But by government decree, pure alcohol and glucose were added to small quantities of rice mash, increasing the yield by as much as four times. Glucose (Glc a Monosaccharide (or simple Sugar) also known as grape sugar, is an important Carbohydrate in Biology. 95% of today's sake is made using this technique, left over from the war years. There were even a few breweries that were able to produce "sake" that contained no rice at all. Naturally, the quality of sake during this time suffered greatly.

After the war, breweries slowly began to recover, and the quality of sake gradually went up. However, new players on the scene — beer, wine, and spirits — became very popular in Japan, and in the 1960s beer consumption surpassed sake for the first time. Sake consumption continued to go down while, in contrast, the quality of sake steadily improved.

Today, sake has become a world beverage with a few breweries springing up in China, Southeast Asia, South America, North America, and Australia. More breweries are also turning to older methods of production.

While the rest of the world may be drinking more sake and the quality of sake has been increasing, it is not clear sailing for the sake industry. In Japan, the sale of sake is still declining and it is uncertain if the exportation of sake to other countries can save Japanese breweries. There are around 1,500 breweries in Japan now, whereas there were about 2,500 in 1988.

Brewing

Moromi, a stage in the brewing process

Sake is produced by the multiple parallel fermentation of polished rice. Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many The process of milling removes the protein and oils from the exterior of the rice grain, leaving behind starch. Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is Starch, CAS # 9005-25-8 Chemical formula (C6H10O5n is a Polysaccharide A more thorough milling leads to fewer congeners and generally a more desirable product. Multiple fermentation means that there are multiple steps in the fermentation process — the starch is converted to sugar by enzyme action, and then the sugar is converted to alcohol by yeast. Enzymes are Biomolecules that catalyze ( ie increase the rates of Chemical reactions Almost all enzymes are Proteins This is typical of beverages created from starchy sources, such as beers.

Sake brewing differs from beer brewing in two significant ways. In sake brewing, enzymes for the starch conversion come from the action of a mold called kōji, but in beer brewing the enzymes come from the malt itself. Aspergillus oryzae ( Chinese: 麴菌 麴霉菌 曲霉菌 Pinyin: qū meí jùn Japanese: 麹 麹菌 or kōji-kin, Korean Malting is a process applied to Cereal grains in which the grains are made to Germinate by soaking in water and are then quickly halted from germinating further In sake brewing, the multiple processes of fermentation occur simultaneously in the same step, while in beer these processes occur in different, serial steps.

After fermentation, the product is heavily clouded with grain solids and is generally filtered, except in the case of nigori sake. Nigori or is a variety of Sake, an Alcoholic beverage produced from Rice, its name translates roughly to "cloudy" due to its appearance Generally, the product is not aged because consumers prefer the flavor of the fresh product, which degrades quickly in the presence of light, air, and heat. A few varieties of aged sake serve a niche market, however, and can be purchased for a reasonable price if one knows who and where to inquire.

In Japanese, a sake brewery is called a kura (蔵, "warehouse").

Types of brewing process

Nigori, or unfiltered sake.

By varying the brewing process, many different types of sake can be created. Categorized by brewing method, there are several types of sake:

• Kimoto (生酛) is the traditionally orthodox method for brewing sake which has been in use for at least 300 years, though very rare today. The mash is hand beaten and made into a paste which then ferments.
• Yamahai (山廃) is a traditional method of brewing sake introduced in the early 1900s, where the starter or "moto" is left for a month to allow it to sour. The method was originally developed to speed production time, however, now it is used to impart a higher acidity and complex flavors.
• Sokujō (速醸) is the modern sake which is made by adding a small amount of lactic acid to the mash to speed the production time. Sokujō sake tends to have a cleaner flavor than Kimoto or Yamahai.
• Namazake (生酒) is sake that has not been pasteurized and is best served chilled, and may be made with any of the above ingredients, or brewing processes. Pasteurization is the process of heating Liquids for the purpose of destroying bacteria, Protozoa, Molds and Yeasts The process was
• Genshu (原酒), supposed to be undiluted junmai sake, around 18-20% alc. by volume. Most genshu is honjōzō-shu to make it more economical, however, the method of sake brewing is growing in popularity among premium brands as well.
• Muroka (無濾過), means unfiltered. This type of sake is made as traditional seishu (i. e. not nigorizake), but does not go through the charcoal filtering, so there is a small amount of cloudyness. In recent years, muroka nama genshu sake is growing in popularity as it has a large enough flavor profile so that it can stand up to full flavored western foods.
• Nigorizake (濁り酒), is cloudy sake. The sake is passed through a very loose weave to separate it from the mash. It is of course not filtered thereafter and there is much rice sediment in the bottle. Before serving, the bottle is shaken to mix the sediment and turn the sake white or cloudy.
• Doburoku (濁酒) is the classic home-brew style of sake and is traditionally a cloudy milky color, as the most delicious flavors are found in the white residue. Doburoku is created by adding steamed rice at the end of fermentation, starting a second fermentation and raising the alcohol level. It is also unpasteurized. Please note that although the kanji for doburoku and nigorizake are the same and both are opaque, they are in fact different styles of sake, with doburoku being the "chunkier" of the two.

By creating a starter-culture of micro-organisms, a higher-quality brew is possible. The starter-culture, called "moto" (酛) is stored at 5-10°C, allowing the lactic acid micro-organisms to become dominant in the culture. Lactic acid is important to flavor and preventing un-wanted infections. Subsequently, the rice, kōji, and water is added at three separate stages. The mixture is called moromi (醪 or 諸味), and grows the mass by three additions. By initiating a brew with a starter-culture, the subsequent batches to moromi also increase the alcohol levels.

Varieties

An American-produced bottle of ginjō-shu sake.

Various types of sake offered for sale at a Japanese grocery in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

There are two basic types of sake: futsū-shu (普通酒), "normal sake"; and tokutei meishōshu (特定名称酒) "special designation sake". Futsū-shu does not qualify for any levels of special designation. It is the equivalent of table wine and is over 75% of all sake produced. In the United States table wine is used as a legal definition to differentiate standard Wine from stronger (higher alcohol content Fortified wine or On the other hand, the tokutei meishōshu or "special designation sake" is distinguished by the degree to which the rice is polished and the added percentage of jōzō alcohol or absence of such additives.

There are four types of tokutei meishōshu (actually six, due to mixing and matching the junmai and ginjō varieties).

• honjōzō-shu (本醸造酒), with a slight amount of distilled alcohol added. The distilled alcohol helps pull some extra flavors out of the mash. This term was created in the late 1960s to distinguish it (a premium, flavorful sake) from cheaply made liquors to which large amounts of alcohol were added simply to increase volume and/or give it a high alcohol content. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
• junmai-shu (純米酒, literally "pure sake"), made from rice only. Before 2004, the Japanese government mandated that at least 40% of the rice be polished away, with no alcohol added, if the sake was to be considered junmai. Today, it can represent any sake milled to any degree, that contains no additives or distilled alcohol.
• ginjō-shu (吟醸酒), rice weight polished to 40% or less.
• daiginjō-shu (大吟醸酒), rice weight polished to 50% or less.

The term junmai can be added in front of either ginjō or daiginjō if no alcohol is added to result in either junmai ginjō or junmai daiginjō. However, distilled alcohol often is added in small amounts to ginjō and daiginjō to heighten the aroma, not to increase volume, so a junmai daiginjō without added alcohol is not necessarily a better product than daiginjō. In fact, most brews that win the gold medals at the Hiroshima Kanpyōkai (one of the most prestigious judging events) cannot be called junmai due to the small amounts of alcohol added.

In addition, there are some other terms commonly used to describe sake:

• kuroshu (黒酒), sake using unpolished rice (brown rice), more like the Chinese production method.
• koshu (古酒), aged sake. Most sake does not age well, but this specially made type can age for decades, turning the sake yellow and giving it a honeyed flavor.
• taruzake (樽酒), sake aged in cedar barrels. The barrel aging gives this type its characteristic spiciness. Also refers to sake casks broken open for the opening of buildings, businesses, parties, etc. As the cedar barrels imparts a flavor, premium sake is rarely used for this type.
• seishu (清酒), the official name for Japanese sake, but excluding nigorizake and doburoku.
• tei-seihaku-shu (低精白酒), sake with low rice polishing ratio.
  Generally and traditionally, it has been said that the lower the "seimai-buai" rice polishing ratio is (see below), the better the potential of the sake is. This is true with the majority of sake in March 2007 but, in these few years, sake has intentionally been made with high rice polishing ratios, such as 80%, to produce a characteristic flavor, mainly for the scent of the rice itself to remain.
• shizuku-dori (雫取り), sake that is separated from lees without external pressure by hanging moromi bags and allowing it to drip slowly.
• tobin-gakoi (斗瓶囲い), sake that was pressed into separate bottles usually using the shizuku-dori method, each containing 18 liters. The resulting bottles permits the brewer to select the best sake of the batch for shipping.
• shiboritate (搾立て), sake that has been shipped without the traditional six-month aging/maturation period. The result is usually a more acidic, "greener" sake.

Some other terms commonly used in connection with sake:

• kasu (粕), the sake lees left after filtering, used for making tsukemono, cuisine (sakekasujiru, etc. are the lees left over from sake production It can be used as a Pickling agent a cooking paste to add flavor to food and as a marinade. Tsukemono (漬物 ("pickled things" are Japanese pickles. ), livestock feed, and shōchū. is an Alcoholic beverage of Japan, most commonly distilled from Barley, Sweet potato or Rice.
• nihonshu-do (日本酒度), = (|1/specific gravity|−1) × 1443
  　Specific gravity is measured on a scale weighing the same amount of water at 4°C and sake at 15°C. The sweeter the sake is, the lower the number gets. When they started to use the nihonshu-do, 0 was the break-even point between sweet sake and dry sake. Now this point is +3. Most sake varies in nihonshu-do between sweetest −30 to most dry +15
• seimai-buai (精米歩合), the rice polishing ratio, meaning the leftover weight after polishing. Generally, the lower the number, the better the sake's potential. Tei-seihaku-shu (see above) does not fit this traditional formula.

Serving sake

Main article: Sake set

Sake can be served in a wide variety of cups; here is sakazuki (flat saucer-like cup), ochoko (small cylindrical cup), and masu (wooden box-like cup). Sake set is a generic term for the flask and cups used to serve Sake, the traditional Japanese Alcoholic beverage made from Rice.

In Japan sake is served cold, warm or hot, depending on the preference of the drinker, the quality of the sake and the season. Sake is one of the few alcoholic beverages that is regularly consumed hot. Typically, hot sake is consumed in winter and cold sake is consumed in summer. As heating serves to mask the undesirable flavors of lower-quality sake, it is said that the practice became popular during World War II to mask the rough flavor of low-quality sake resulting from scarcity of quality ingredients. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

The most common way to serve sake in the United Kingdom is to heat it to body temperature (37°C/98. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located 6°F), but professional sake tasters prefer room temperature (20°C/68°F), and chilled sake (10°C/50°F) is growing in popularity.

Sake is served in shallow cups, called choko. Usually sake is poured into the choko from ceramic flasks called tokkuri. Other, more ceremonial cups, used most commonly at weddings and other special occasions, are called sakazuki. Drinking from someone else's sake cup is considered a sign of friendship, or to honour someone of lower status. The influx of premium sakes has inspired Riedel, the Austrian wine glass company, to create a footed glass specifically for premium sakes such as ginjō and daiginjō.

One item used by some traditional sake drinkers is a masu, a box traditionally made of Japanese cypress. A was originally a square wooden box used to measure rice in Japan during the feudal period Chamaecyparis obtusa ( Japanese cypress, Hinoki cypress or Hinoki; Japanese: 檜 or 桧 hinoki) is a species of In some of the more traditional Japanese restaurants, as a show of generosity, the server may put a glass inside the masu (or put the masu inside a saucer) and pour until a large amount of sake overflows and fills this secondary container.

Aside from being served straight, sake can be used as a mixer for cocktails, such as the Japanese tamagozake, saketinis, or the sake bomb. A cocktail is a style of Mixed drink. Originally a mixture of distilled spirits, Sugar, Water, and Bitters, the word has gradually is a drink consisting of heated Sake, Sugar and a raw egg. It translates as "egg saké" being made of the Kanji 卵 (non-standard Saketini is the general definition of a Cocktail that uses Sake (otherwise known as Japanese rice wine and other ingredients such as simple syrups distilled spirits The sake bomb or sake bomber is a drink made by pouring Sake into a shot glass and dropping it into a glass of Beer.

Storage

In general, it is best to keep sake refrigerated in a cool or dark room as prolonged exposure to heat or direct light will lead to spoilage. Sake stored at room temperature is best consumed within a few months after purchase.

After opening the bottle of sake, it is best consumed within 2 or 3 hours. It is possible to store in the refrigerator, but it is recommended to finish the sake within 2 days. This is because once premium sake is opened, it begins to oxidize which affects the taste. If the sake is kept in the refrigerator for more than 3 days, it will lose it's "best" flavor. However, this does not mean it should be disposed of if not consumed. Generally, sake can keep very well and still taste just fine after weeks in the fridge. How long a sake will remain drinkable depends on the actual product itself, and whether it is sealed with a wine vacuum top.

Ritual uses

A cask of sake before the kagami biraki

Sake is often consumed as part of Shinto purification rituals (compare with the use of grape wine in the Christian Eucharist). Kagami Biraki (鏡開き is a Japanese phrase which literally translates to "Opening the Mirror" (from an abstinence or also "Breaking of the Mochi is the native religion of Japan and was once its State religion. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those During World War II, Kamikaze pilots drank sake prior to carrying out their missions. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ( is a word of Japanese origin which in English usually refers to the Suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Today barrels of sake are broken open (Kagami biraki) during Shinto festivals and ceremonies or following sports victories: this sake (called iwai-zake, literally "celebration sake") is served freely to all to spread good fortune. Kagami Biraki (鏡開き is a Japanese phrase which literally translates to "Opening the Mirror" (from an abstinence or also "Breaking of the Mochi Sake is also served during the light meal eaten during some tea ceremonies. The Japanese tea ceremony is called chanoyu (茶の湯 lit "tea hot-water" or also chadō or sadō (ja

In the New Year Japanese people drink a special sake called toso. The New Year is an event that happens when a Culture celebrates the end of one Year and the beginning of the next year or o-toso, is Spiced medicinal Sake traditionally drunk during New Year celebrations in Japan. Toso is a sort of iwai-zake. It is made by soaking tososan, a Chinese powder medicine, overnight in sake. Even children sip a portion. In some regions the first sipping of toso is taken in order of age from younger to older. History dates back to the ninth century. This sake was introduced under emperor Saga.

Kagami biraki is the ritual breaking open of a new sake barrel with a wooden mallet, performed at weddings, business openings, New Years, and other special events. Kagami Biraki (鏡開き is a Japanese phrase which literally translates to "Opening the Mirror" (from an abstinence or also "Breaking of the Mochi

See also

Decorative sake containers in a Nakatsugawa shop.

• Amylolytic process
• Toji (brewmaster)
• Gekkeikan
• Toso Spiced medicinal sake
• Chinese alcoholic beverage (also known as Jiu)
• Makkoli (the Korean equivalent of doburoku)
• Shōchū (a distilled beverage, distinct from sake)
• Sonti
• Cheongju (청주)
• The Kohama style of sake brewing was practiced in the Obama Domain of Settsu Province during the Edo period

Further reading

• Fred Eckhardt, Sake USA (1992). The amylolytic process is used to produce Sake and other Wines from Grains such as Rice or Sorghum. is the job title of the Japanese Sake Brewmaster. It is a highly respected job in the Japanese society, with tōji being regarded like musicians is a Japanese manufacturer of Sake based in Kyoto, Japan Founded in 1637 by Jiemon Okura it is one of the world's oldest companies. or o-toso, is Spiced medicinal Sake traditionally drunk during New Year celebrations in Japan. See also Wine in China Jiu ( is the Chinese word that refers to all Alcoholic beverages This word has often been mistranslated into Makgeolli, also known as takju, is a traditional alcoholic beverage native to Korea. is an Alcoholic beverage of Japan, most commonly distilled from Barley, Sweet potato or Rice. Sonti is an Indian rice-based alcoholic beverage that is made much like Sake and is similar to wine in its alcohol content and use Korean culture has a great variety of traditional alcoholic beverages most of which are called by the Sino-Korean term ju ( Hangul: 주 The was a method of making Sake during the Edo period in the Obama Domain of the former Settsu Province of Japan (now Takarazuka, The Obama Domain (小浜藩 -han) was a Japanese feudal domain of the Edo period, based at Obama Castle in Wakasa Province (today was a province of Japan, which today comprises the eastern part of Hyōgo Prefecture and the northern part of Osaka Prefecture. The, also referred to as the Tokugawa period (徳川時代 Tokugawa-jidai) is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868 Fred Eckhardt is an American Beer critic and writer Biography "Fred is eighty-two year old ex-marine Buddhist who teaches swimming classes to Guide to American sake.
• John Gauntner, Sake Handbook (2002). General information.
• Rocky Aoki, Sake : Water from Heaven (2003). General information.
• Philip Harper, The Insider's Guide to Sake (1998). General information.
• Harper, Phillip; Haruo Matsuzaki (1995). The Book of Sake: A Connoisseurs Guide. Kodansha International. ISBN 4770029985.  

External links

• Sake World - Types of Sake
• Sake Fest at The Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia
• Sake tastings around the world