What Is Sake?
Rice becomes something unexpected.
Sake is Japan's traditional brewed alcoholic drink, made from rice, water, koji and yeast. Its alcohol develops through fermentation; sake itself is not distilled. Unlike grapes, which already contain fermentable sugar, rice holds its potential as starch. Koji supplies enzymes that turn that starch into sugar while yeast converts the sugar into alcohol.
The same four ingredients can produce sake that smells of pear and flowers, or tastes savory and richly textured. Rice preparation, yeast and fermentation help account for those differences.
how rice becomes sake
Brewers polish the rice, then wash, soak and steam it. Part of the steamed rice is used to prepare koji by cultivating a mold on it in a separate stage. The resulting koji joins steamed rice, water and a yeast starter in the fermentation mash.
The Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association describes the simultaneous conversion of starch and fermentation as multiple parallel fermentation. Koji makes sugar available as the yeast works. Once fermentation is complete, the sake is separated from the remaining rice solids.
why rice and water matter
The rice variety, its polishing and its preparation all influence what follows. Milling removes part of the grain's outer layers; a rice-polishing percentage tells you how much of the grain's original weight remains.
Water is an ingredient and a working material throughout the brewery, used in preparing the rice as well as in the mash. Its mineral composition can influence fermentation. Rice and water define the starting conditions; the brewing team works with their particular qualities.
the judgment of the brewer
A toji, or master brewer, leads the brewing team. Preparing koji, choosing yeast and managing fermentation require decisions throughout the making. The finished sake reflects those choices as much as its ingredients.
The opening photograph shows that work at Urakasumi: four brewers tending a fermentation tank together. Knowledge also travels beyond an individual brewery. Kyokai No. 12 yeast originated at Urakasumi and was later distributed to breweries across Japan, a local contribution to a wider brewing culture.
one drink, many expressions
Sake can be fragrant and light, richly textured or savory. Fruit aromas do not necessarily mean sweetness: a sake that smells of pear can finish dry. Our guide to what sake tastes like separates aroma, flavor and texture.
For two closely related grades, read What Is Junmai Ginjo Sake? and What Junmai Daiginjo Means. Sake is commonly bottled at around 14 to 16% alcohol by volume, though individual bottles vary. How Strong Is Sake? explains the label and the difference a pour size makes.
how do you serve sake?
Follow the bottle’s serving guidance: sake can be enjoyed at different temperatures depending on its style. For our US LABEL AZUR, we recommend 45 to 50°F (7 to 10°C) in a white wine glass, with pear, apple and a silky, dry finish beside sashimi or goat cheese. Read why we choose a wine glass for the serve, and how to store an opened bottle for what follows dinner.
a contemporary interpretation
At HEAVENSAKE, Japanese brewing expertise is the starting point for Assemblage. Régis Camus and each partner brewery taste several of that brewery's finished sakes and compose them into one expression. The Japanese makers bring their knowledge of the sakes to every decision.
Urakasumi and Dewazakura are among these collaborators. The work draws on differences in aroma, texture and finish between the sakes each brewery makes. Our account of the collaboration behind Assemblage follows those choices from the brewery to the glass.
