Saké for beginners

Saké is the national drink of Japan and it has a long and storied history stretching back more than 1,000 years. It’s made throughout the country from Hokkaido in the north to warmer climes of Kyushu in the south. Styles and flavours vary with the various climatic regions as well as the water, rice and yeast strains used.

It is a fascinating hybrid product, neither quite like beer or wine. Instead, because rice has no fermentable sugars, the rice is first inoculated with Aspergillus Oryzae (koji mold) in order to convert the starch to sugar. Simultaneously, the added yeast ferments the sugars as they are being formed.

Saké is a vast subject and it's easy to get into the weeds and for the uninitiated it's simply important to focus on the taste and how it makes you feel. So for our purposes, I’ve kept it simple.

What Does the Percentage Mean?

Saké labels are not always available in English but numbers are universal and they do provide some guidance.

If you see “70%” on a bottle of saké, it means that 30% of the rice has been polished away; “60%” means that 40% has been polished away and so on. What is polished away from the outer layers of a grain of rice are fats and proteins.

The lower the percentage on the label, the more you can expect to pay as, in the end, there is less material from which the brewer can produce saké. The more that is removed from the grain, the more the saké is said to become refined in taste.

Storing Saké

It’s important to keep in mind that saké, even if it remains unopened, should be kept refrigerated or in cool, dry and dark conditions such as a clean area of your basement.

Some people think that it’s crucial to drink saké within a year of purchase, but I've found that as long as it’s been properly stored, you can enjoy a very good bottle after as much as two years.

Saké Styles

Junmai

When you see this word on a bottle, it means that the saké has been made with rice only.

This is the saké with which most people are familiar and although most sakés today are consumed chilled, Junmai sakés lend themselves to being served warm.

Famous names widely available through the LCBO are Gekkeikan, Hakutsuru and my personal favourite, Sho Chiku Bai.

Three levels of saké using this term are: Junmai, Junmai Ginjo and Junmai Daiginjo with this last classification typically being the priciest.

Ginjo

This is a classification where the polish rate is 60%. If you do not see Junmai before the word Ginjo, it means distilled spirit has been added.

Daiginjo

At this quality level, half of the rice remains and half has been polished away. Junmai Daiginjo is, for many people, where some of the greatest drinking happens. The Kubota pictured here is truly luscious with a warming mouthfeel and flavours of yellow stone fruit and melon.

Genshu

This term denotes full strength. When you see it on the label you will also see a higher alcohol percentage. Whereas most saké is between 14% to 16%, Genshu is typically between 18% to 20%. Expect a richer mouthfeel.

Nama

This is saké that is “raw” or unpasteurized. You can expect a sweeter and richer character which is sometimes ideal for beginners. Bear in mind however that because they are unpasteurized, these sakés have a shorter shelf life.

Nigori

This Saké contains lees (remains of yeast and rice ) left in the saké or sometimes added back in using a coarse filter. It has a different texture and some such sakés can be sweeter while others are a little more tart.

Nigori saké can also be made as a sparkling variety and for my money, the brewery Hakkaisan produces one of the finest examples.

Where to buy saké

Some basic products are available through the LCBO. In Ontario we are fortunate however that we can buy directly through the importer.

The sakés pictured here are brought in by Ozawa Canada, a premium importer of Japanese goods. I've long been familiar with them and they represent great value and quality. If you’re a Japanophile, Ozawa has everything you need.

Drinking saké

Traditionally this drink is consumed using a small glass or porcelain cup known as a choko. You might also use a masu, a square vessel made of Japanese cedar that imparts a mild woody aroma to your saké.

Nowadays however it is perfectly acceptable to use a white wine glass and remember to be more modest with your pours.

Most saké today is consumed chilled at a temperature between 5C-10C but warming saké to between 40C-50C in a water bath is still popular. Warmed saké works well with fatty fish like mackerel or cooked dishes like fish collar.

Finally, don't limit your enjoyment of saké to just Japanese cuisine. The applications, as with wine or beer, are more varied and it's fun to experiment. Use a good Junmai alongside a mushroom risotto or a sparkling Nigori saké with a snack of potato chips or popcorn. It's also a fabulous base for cocktails and we have a link for you below.

Kanpai

Where to drink saké

When C’est Japon a Suisha was still with us, you could always count on a good bottle of saké in different styles and price points. Now there are newer restaurants still waiting on their liquor licenses such as Nagi Sushi in Orléans and the most recently opened J Fuse on Main Street. We should see them up and running with a new drinks menu in the near future.

You also have the option of enjoying this beverage at cocktail bars throughout the city and the better ones will have mixologists ready to make your preferred drink. 

The stylish Charlotte on Elgin is such a lounge where you can enjoy the Penny Pincher, a cocktail made with a stronger rice drink called soju (shochu in Japan).

The newly renovated Festival Japan on Kent Street offers a variety of reasonably priced saké cocktails as well as a modest selection of sakés to go with your meal.

One of Ottawa’s better Japanese restaurants J: Unique features different styles of saké from the producer Hakatsuru at prices that are actually quite fair.

The well-established Sapporo Sushi Bar on Carling has one of the city’s better saké selections with products not just from Hakutsuru but also Dewasansan, Tomanohikari, Honmare and the excellent “Black Label” from Kubota (pictured above). This is your chance to try this beautifully made saké. They even offer a chocolate saké for those who like their dessert in a glass.

Finally, you can pop down to Stolen Goods on Sparks where the cocktail list is simply one-of-a-kind. It changes with the seasons and while I didn’t see saké themed drinks listed, they do make unique cocktails featuring a variety of Japanese ingredients. They also offer 40 different Japanese whiskies making them a leader in this regard.

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