Page 131 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Tokyo

WHERE T O EA T AND DRINK  129

Sake (Rice Liquor)
Sake is made from rice and water, which
are fermented together then pasteurized to
create a superb alcoholic wine-like beverage.
Many connoisseurs judge sake on the five
qualities of sweetness, sourness, pungency,
bitterness, and astringency. Sake may be
drunk warm, but the finer types should be
lightly chilled to retain the subtle flavors.
Unlike wine, sake is rarely expected
to improve in the bottle. Store it in a cool,
dry place for no more than a few months.
Taruzake (cask Everyday hon-jozo type Fine ginjo type by Finer dai-ginjo by
sake) is matured in by Gekkeikan Nihonsakari Tsukasa Botan
wooden casks made
of cypress. Casks are The finest grade of sake, dai-ginjo, is made from
often presented to the hardest core of the rice – more than 50 percent
Shinto shrines as offer- of each grain is shaved away. For the ginjo type about
ings. The brewer’s 40 percent is shaved; for hon-jozo, the average sake,
logo is displayed about 30 percent. Some are brewed with added
prominently. alcohol; those without are called junmai, “pure rice.”

A classic serving set
consists of a ceramic bottle
(tokkuri) and matching
cups (choko). The
bottle can be placed in
hot water to warm the
sake to about 122°F (50°C).
Sake breweries traditionally hang a ball of cedar
leaves (sakabayashi) and sometimes a sacred rope
(shimenawa) over their entrance.

Other Alcoholic Drinks
Japan has several beers that have become well known around the world. Suntory whiskey is also
sold abroad, popular with those who prefer a milder whiskey. Less well known abroad, shochu is
a name for a group of Japanese spirits made from barley or other grains, or potatoes. The alcohol
content of shochu varies from 40 to 90 proof. The distilled spirit is often mixed with hot water or
used as a base for cocktails, but it is also drunk neat, either heated or on the rocks. In addition, it is
used to make bottled fruit liqueurs such as umeshu, which is made with whole Japanese apricots.

Suntory whiskey Sapporo beer Asahi beer Barley shochu Rice shochu

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