Serve Chilled

SERVE CHILLED

SERVE CHILLED

In various regions all across Japan, breweries perfect their own types of sake. A delicate yet complex rice wine liquor, sake has steadily become an international trend amongst connoisseurs and general consumers alike.

When most Westerners hear the word “sake” a tsunami-like cringe washes over their facial features as they’re haunted by past experiences... Late night sushi and teppanyaki, the warmed beverage downed in shots and the mindnumbing, sour hangover.

These are a few of the common mis-conceptions held by many Westerners.

However,fortunately for the sake lovers of the world, this is slowly changing and it’ ‘ s fair to say that sake is now trendy, fashionable and the ‘in-thing’.

Junmai Ginjo

Sake can be consumed in a variety of ways, and no doubt you’ve experienced it both hot and cold. Gone are the days of drinking hot sake out of small, ceramic cups. The rise of luxury sake has revolutionized the way in which we drink it, and has brought sake to a whole new level. According to Sake Sommeliers around the globe, luxury sake is to be served and consumed slightly chilled.

Sake should only be served hot if it is low in quality, which is when a high dosage of distilled alcohol has been added after the fermentation process.

Daiginjo shu

For those of us who are not familiar with the elusive language of Japan, the question remains - “How can we tell if a sake is good quality and a ‘luxury sake’?” The fact that most of the sake that we have access to is produced for export means that there tends to be more low quality sake available at our fingertips. In an effort to make choosing sake a little easier for everyone, and to ensure that you know which are the best sakes on the market, (which ultimately is what we want to be serving), we’ve put together a small list of the best types of sake on the market.

Junmai Ginjoshu

Junmai Dai Ginjo-shu (No added alcohol*) A subclass of junmai ginjoshu, brewed with very highly polished rice (to at least 50% meaning that 50% of the grain has been removed, or polished off, leaving only 50% of the grain)and even more precise and labor intensive methods.

The pinnacle of the brewers’ art. Generally light, complex and fragrant.

Daiginjo-shu (Some added alcohol*) A subclass of ginjo-shu below, brewed with very highly polished rice (to at least 50%) and even more precise and labor intensive methods.

Junmai Ginjo-shu (No added alcohol*) Brewed with labor-intensive steps, eschewing machinery for traditional tools and methods, using highly polished rice (at least 60%) and fermented at colder temperatures for longer periods of time. Light, fruity, refined.

Ginjo-shu (some added alcohol*) Brewed with labor-intensive steps, eschewing machinery for traditional tools and methods, using highly polished rice (at least 60%**) and fermented at colder temperatures for longer periods of time. Light, aromatic, fruity, and refined.

The Top Six Styles Of Sake

Written by The Talking Stew

Junmai-shu (no added alcohol*) Made with only rice, water and koji mold. The rice used must be polished to at least 70%. Often a full and solid flavor profile, clean and well structured.

Note also Tokubetsu Junmai-shu, or “Special Junmai-shu,” which merely indicates more highly polished rice, or the use of very special sake rice.

Honjozo-shu (some added alcohol*) Made with rice, water,koji and a very small amount of pure distilled alcohol (“brewers’ alcohol”) to help extract flavor and aroma.

Light, mildly fragrant, easy to drink.

Note also Tokubetsu Honjozo-shu or “Special Honjozo-shu,” which merely indicates more highly polished rice, or the use of very special sake rice.

Sake in the six classifications above is known collectively as “tokutei meishoshu,” or “special designation sake,” and are considered to be “premium sake.”

It constitutes only about 20% of all sake produced. The first four sakes listed, collectively known as “ginjo-shu”, can be considered as “super-premium sake” or “luxury sake”. Ginjo-shu and its subclasses constitute only the top 6% of all sake produced, and represents the pinnacle of the brewers’ craft.

Sake Service

Nowadays there are a variety of sake service styles that are gracing the hospitality scene.

Many Sake Sommeliers recommend serving it in a small, white wine glass, just like white wine.

However,when doing so, make sure the glass isn’t overfilled when pouring!

When serving sake this way, it is recommended that no more than 1/3 of the glass is filled.

There are also quite a few impressive, modern sake carafes on the market which are made with the ice compartment inside the glass bottle.

This feature is obviously fantastic for keeping the sake chilled, as well as offering a dining experience with a slight twist.

This season why not impress your guests with your up-to-date knowledge on sake service and dazzle them with the latest craze?!

Go even further and impress them with your Japanese skills and “cheers” them before drinking “Kanpai”

SAKE DRINKING

Let’s face it, a Stew who knows the product offers a better kind of service, which is all the more reason for taste testing it yourselves! When tasting luxury sake one should do so properly - it is a ‘luxury’ product, after-all!

When tasting, it is recommended to use traditional wine tasting techniques, which we’re no doubt all familiar with.

-Swirl the glass and appreciate the complex aromatics.

-Next, sip the sake and allow it to coat your mouth before you swallow. As with wine, you must take time with sake in order to grasp all that it has to offer.Due to its delicate nature, sake ought to be stored in a dark, cool space with a constant temperature.

Once opened, sake should be consumed relatively quickly and the remaining contents of the bottle kept refrigerated.