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All about Saké & How It Is So Popular Globally.

05/04/2019

Japanese Sake manufacturers get on toes as Sake lovers spread globally. Looks like a win-win for everyone.

Let’s have a look at what sake is, what it means, how does it look like and much more to it.

Sake literally means liquor and is more or less transparent, which is due to filtering at the Kura(the brewery) before shipping. Sometimes when the sake is full-flavored, it brings out a light amber or gold color to it.

Sake also holds a very religious and sentimental value in the Japanese culture and these sentiments are further passed down from generations to generations.  In ancient times, it was a custom for the people in each region to brew and drink sake with Shinto Deities after offering it to them at festivals and events. The authentic sake that was brewed and savored at that time is called Doburoku which is basically an unrefined sake. However, that tradition has declined these days & Seishu, which is the refined sake is the symbol of present-day sake.

Sake has been consumed since forever in Japanese culture. So much that it’s called their national drink. You get the idea of its place in the Japanese culture when you read about it in the ancient folk stories dating back to more than 2,000 years ago.

The traditional sake is made essentially from rice and water with the help of important catalysts yeast and koji spores. Koji spores are dusted onto some of the rice in order to convert rice into sugar, which is consumed by yeast to create alcohol. Being the national drink of Japan, sake comes in several different varieties and was first made at least 2,000 years ago. The basic process of making sake involves "polishing" or milling the rice kernels, which are then cooked in good, clean water and made into a mash. Dropping a fun fact here about how the best season to brew sake is winter!

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Basically, there are four types of sake and each requires a different brewing method. Obviously, there are more brewing methods also for various sake type but below mentioned are the most common.

  • Junmai-shu

This is a kind of sake made by using rice only. It is made with no added distilled alcohol. A junmai-shu with particularly good flavor, color, and which has been made using high-quality rice or by special methods is called as Tokubetsu junmai-shu (special junmai-shu)

  • Honjozo-shu

Belonging to the Tokutei Meisho-shu (Special Designation Sakes), this kind of sake is defined as sake made from rice polished up to 70% or less of its original size, kome-koji, water and brewer’s alcohol. Just a tad bit of distilled alcohol is added in making of Honjozo-shu.

  • Ginjo-shu

Ginjo-shu sake, made from white rice at a rice polishing ratio below 60%, using low-temperature fermentation pattern known as Ginjo Zukuri, produces the kind which is characterized by light, smooth taste and the flowery, fruity aromas known as ginjo-ka. It is a highly milled rice that might be with or without alcohol.

  • Daiginjo-shu

Like Ginjo-shu, this sake is made from white rice polished at 50% with or without added alcohol. if the bottle is labeled “Daiginjo”, it means distilled alcohol is added; if labeled “Junmai Daiginjo”, it means no alcohol added. It is basically a kind of sake which is even more highly milled rice but with or without added alcohol.

  • Nama-zake

The name itself refers to the sake that is not pasteurized. Before pasteurization, the new sake has a hint of fresh taste and aroma. Also, the various enzymes remain in an active state in nama-zake, and, although the greater part of yeast and other micro-organisms are removed during the pressing process, a certain quantity remains. For these reasons, unpasteurized sake is very prone to change during storage. Nama-zake basically is mutually independent of the above four.

  • Tokutei Meisho-shu

The above four basic kinds combine and form, Tokutei Meisho-shu which is also called “Special Designation Sake.” Each of these has a general flavor profile based on the brewing methods applied. However, there is a whole lot of overlap between them. It gets difficult to tell which type one is drinking, for some of these sake taste above their class or just different and others don’t live up to the billing. So many things come into the scene — rice, water, the skill of brewers. So, it is next to impossible to comment on how a sake will taste based on which type it is.

Japanese have been sake drinkers since ancient time. In the evolution of sake, there have been many trial & error phases to become what it is today. But now the millennials in Japan are more into trying new western wines and beers. So there has been a decline in the consumption of sake in Japan. According to the reports in 2013, Japan consumed only 31% of its peak production in the 1970s.

But having said that would like to add that the love for sake growing overseas has gotten the Japanese sake manufacturers on toes, as the export of sake from Japan has increased undeniably in the last 10 years. The international foodies are turning their heads towards the Japanese cuisine and culture and sake is getting more and more popular globally, creating a cryptic hype about it.

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Sake, getting the reputation around international fans, is now exported overseas and the exports of sake have doubled in the past decade to a record 19,737 kilolitres reported in 2016, according to annual trade statistics by Japan’s Ministry of Finance. They said that the US accounted for about a quarter of the total, followed by Taiwan, China, and South Korea.

The industry’s global marketing drive has won the backing of Japan’s government, which helps the industry to grow far and wide overseas. “The International Wine Challenge” has included a sake category since 2007, with the number of brands reaching almost 1,300 at last year’s contest in London.

According to the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association, the popularity of sake is vigorously increasing all around the world. Japanese sake exports rose to an all-time high of ¥18.6 million in 2017, with the value of exports doubling in the last five years alone. The biggest buyer is the USA, where the sake imports have steadily grown in volume and value, both rising by more than half in the last ten years. This shows that the selling of sake is not only beneficial to exporters but it is also beneficial to importers, distributors as well as the retailers.

Also, in the last decade, Sake has experienced a notable ferment in the industry. According to Reuters, The Japanese motorists may one day pump their cars full of sake, powering their cars in the future. What a world to be living in, right?! Rice wine running the cars!  

The 2025 China Wine Competition is set to happen in Hong Kong in October 2025. Submission now open for International and China wineries.

Key Dates

Super early bird pricing ends on March 31, 2025