Page 325 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

WHERE T O EA T AND DRINK  323

Sake (Rice Liquor)
Sake is made from rice and water, which are
fermented together then pasteurized to create a
superb 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.
Everyday hon-jozo type Fine ginjo type by Finer dai-ginjo by
by Gekkeikan Nihonsakari Tsukasa Botan
Taruzake (cask sake)
is matured in wooden
casks made of cypress. The finest grade of sake, dai-ginjo, is made from
Casks are often the hardest core of the rice – more than 50 percent
presented to Shinto of each grain is shaved away. For the ginjo type
shrines as offer ings. about 40 percent is shaved; for hon-jozo, the
The brewer’s logo is average sake, about 30 percent. Some are brewed
displayed prominently. with added 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 50°C (122°F).
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 from 40 to 90 proof. The distilled spirit is often
well known around the world. Suntory whiskey mixed with hot water or used as a base for
is also sold abroad, and it is popular with those cocktails, but it is also drunk neat, either heated
who prefer a milder whiskey. Less well known or on the rocks. It is used to make bottled
abroad, shochu is a name for a group of Japanese fruit liqueurs such as umeshu,
spirits made from barley or other grains, or which is made with whole
potatoes. The alcohol content of shochu varies Japanese apricots.

Suntory whiskey Sapporo beer Asahi beer Barley shochu Rice shochu

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