I was recently asked if we would ever consider doing a sake tasting at the shop. Admittedly, my initial thoughts were “yeah, that would be great…but would anyone come? Is there enough of an interest in sake to make it worthwhile?”
After pondering the matter for a couple of days, it occurred to me that perhaps people just don’t know enough about sake to be interested. For many, their only experience with sake is being served a hot,turpentine liquid in a cute porcelain cup that you are supposed to choke down with your sushi (a widespread myth, folks….sake is NOT supposed to be served hot. Cheap sake is often served hot to Americans who don’t know the difference).
What is sake? Is it a beer? Is it a wine? Is it a spirit?
Sake is a beverage fermented from rice, which is a grain. This would make it more of a beer than a wine. Yet, sake is not carbonated, and flavor-wise is closer to wine than beer, although it is indeed uniquely different from wine. Sake is not a distilled beverage, and is not even remotely related to gin, vodka or other spirits.
Types of Sake
The Japanese government has created quality designations for sake. These classes refer to the level the rice is milled before the sake creation process. The more the rice is milled, the finer and more delicate the flavors.
Are you interested in learning more? Perhaps tasting? If so, please leave a comment or drop us an email (or say something on your next visit). If there are enough interested people, we may just have the makings for a very special tasting.
Banzai!
