Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage, and specifically rice wine, or Nihonshu, in the West. There are many traditions that accompany the presentation and way of drinking sake. Even if you're not in Japan, it's a good idea to get to know this tradition.
Step
Step 1. Familiarize yourself with traditional drinking containers
- Sake is usually served in small bottles made of ceramic called tokkuri. They are usually round with a narrow neck, but there are also other types, such as the katakuchi, which are shaped like a teapot.
- The exact cup of sake is still debated. Some use a small cup without a handle called an ochoko, or a sakazuki (a cup that looks like a flat plate) and often a masu (a wooden box-shaped cup). A wine glass, while not traditional, is technically the best vessel for drinking sake. This glass allows you to see the color of the sake and inhale all its aromas, adding to the taste and experience of drinking sake. Use a traditional drinking vessel if you want an authentic feel, but use a glass if you want to fully enjoy your sake.
Step 2. Store the sake at the appropriate temperature
Regular sake, honjozo-shu, and shunmai-shu are usually warmed to room temperature, while ginjo-shu and namazake (unpasteurized sake) are chilled. Do not heat above room temperature.
Step 3. Serve sake in each guest's cup, but not in your own
Hold the tokkuri with both hands, palms facing down. You can wrap a napkin around the tokkuri so it doesn't drip. Fill each cup in order. Don't fill your cup. The host is responsible for ensuring that all guests' cups are filled.
- You can pour the bottle with one hand, but make sure you touch your free hand to the pouring hand so it's like dipping with two hands.
- If your status is higher than the person being given the sake (you are their boss), pour it with only one hand (the free hand doesn't touch the pourer's hand).
Step 4. Hold the cup properly while the sake is being poured into your cup
In formal situations, you hold the cup while the sake is poured. Place your hand (usually your right hand) around the cup with one hand and rest it on the palm of your other hand.
If the person serving the sake is below you (such as your employee), hold the cup with only one hand
Step 5. Do a high five
You can say "Kanpai" when you are in a Japanese restaurant. Touch your cup. If you are drinking with someone of higher status, make sure the lip of your cup is touching below the lip of that person's cup.
Step 6. The sake isn't too strong (sake doesn't have as high an alcohol content as other wines, except for genshu), and it won't get as drunk as white wine
However, if sake low quality served hot, the alcohol will evaporate and enter the nose and throat when drunk. Don't drink sake all at once! When drinking, slightly turn away from people of higher status. It's rude to turn away completely before they drink the sake.
Tips
- Usually, sake is best consumed within 2-3 months of purchase and within 2-3 hours of opening. Sake is not to be drunk immediately and should be stored like wine.
- The best way to determine the proper sake serving temperature is to allow the cold sake to warm to room temperature on its own while tasting it from time to time when the taste is optimal.
- Heated sake, or atsukan, is usually only drunk in cold weather or when drinking low-quality wine as it will neutralize the taste. In warm weather, or when drinking premium sake, it is best served chilled.
- If your friend keeps filling your cup with sake when you don't feel like drinking anymore, just sip a little so that your cup is never empty.
- Sake is usually consumed while snacking (such as sashimi) and not during large meals. Traditionally, you should not drink sake while eating rice or other rice-based foods (such as sushi) as this is considered wasteful. If you are planning to eat sushi, finish your sake before eating sushi.
Warning
- Servants of alcoholic beverages are usually legally responsible for the actions of their guests. Never let your guests who are about to drive get drunk and never let drunk guests drive.
- Tejaku is the term when you pour yourself sake, and is considered rude.
- As with other alcoholic beverages, do not operate heavy or dangerous machinery (eg cars) while under the influence of sake.
- Just because the name on the menu is “rice wine” doesn't mean it's real sake. Some drinks like shochu to mao tai are distilled from rice or potatoes, but they are not sake
