Sake 101
Reading the Label
Junmai: “pure rice” craft sake brewed with four simple ingredients
- Water, rice, yeast, and koji
Daiginjo: Ultra-Premium: 50% rice polish ratio (or less!)
- Each rice grain has been polished to 50% of it’s original size
Ginjo: Premium: 60% rice polish ratio
- Each rice grain has been polished to 60% of it’s original size
Nigori: unfiltered sake
- Think “hefeweizen” of sake!
- After sake has been pressed to separate solids and liquids, some solids are added back into clear liquids
- Higher viscosity and sweeter palate
What is sake?
Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage that is brewed using water, rice, yeast, and koji. It is typically categorized as wine due to similar ABV content and serving methods.
Sake is gluten free, sulfite free, vegan, and kosher!
Sake is gentle on your body and contains 80% water! Tsuki Sake is never aged in wood, so say goodbye to your hangover!
What is koji?
Koji is a mold called “aspergillus oryzae,” or “yellow koji.” It is a crucial step in which sake brewers sprinkle koji spores over steamed sake rice, and tend to it’s growth over a 48hr labor-of-love process. Koji converts the starch in rice to glucose, or sugar, which is a crucial step to the fermentation process.
Why is some sake served hot and some served cold?
Sake is a fun and unique beverage in that it can be served at a very wide range of temperatures: 41 (cold!) - 122 (hot!) degrees fahrenheit.
Typically premium style or “ginjo” style sakes are served chilled in a wine glass. This is because of their high rice polish ratio and how this yields a more delicate, aromatic, and refined sake.
Hot sakes typically have a lower rice polish ratio, and are therefore heated before enjoyment. However, any sake can be warmed, and by doing so the sake’s aromas bloom, and the palate unveils flavors that are different from when it is served cold.
We recommend that our products are refrigerated before and after enjoyment. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Experiment and explore with styles and serving temperatures you enjoy the most!