Temperature: chilling sake preserves its delicate aroma (Photo: Ophelia Cai)

Sake Masterclass – An Introduction

A series covering the essentials of Japanese Sake

Fiona Yoshitake   - 2 min read

Sake is Japan’s traditional alcohol, brewed from rice.

Sake is produced from the Northern tip of Japan to the very South, and it is said that 20,000 different brands exist in Japan today.

Sake’s taste reflects each region’s local culture; as Japan has great regional variation in climate, geography and cuisine, you can imagine that from place to place, sake varies greatly too! For that reason, each brand of sake has its own characteristics and nuances and are all worth a try.

Although traditionally Japanese, sake is now enjoyed and even produced in countries all over the world. It is even celebrated globally on International Sake Day, every 1st of October. Learn more about this fascinating and tasty drink in the next series of posts.

Some of the topics that will be covered include:

  • What is sake made of?

  • How is sake classified?

  • What are the different types of sake?

  • How should sake be tasted?

  • At what temperature should sake be enjoyed?

  • What is the proper etiquette for serving and enjoying sake?

  • Can you pair sake with food? (Absolutely!)

Want to do some pre-reading?

Have a look at these Japan Travel articles featuring sake breweries in Japan:

Fiona Yoshitake

Fiona Yoshitake @fiona.yoshitake