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This category covers Japanese sake and shochu alongside related East Asian styles such as umeshu, soju and makgeolli. Sake is brewed from rice rather than distilled, which is why it sits closer to beer than to spirits in how it is made. WNLQ9 lists 399 bottles, spanning sake, shochu, umeshu, soju; origins by count include Japan (383), South Korea (14), Thailand (1).
Sake is brewed from rice, water, yeast and koji mould. Grades are set largely by how much of each rice grain is polished away before brewing: junmai daiginjo and daiginjo use rice milled to at least 50 percent, ginjo to 60 percent, and honjozo to 70 percent. More polishing generally yields a cleaner, more aromatic sake. The junmai prefix means no distilled alcohol was added; its absence means a small amount was, which is a stylistic choice rather than a shortcut.
Sake is brewed, like beer, and typically sits around 15 percent alcohol. Shochu is distilled, usually from barley, sweet potato or rice, and is stronger but often served diluted. Umeshu is a liqueur made by steeping ume fruit in spirit with sugar, so it is sweet and considerably lower in alcohol. Soju is a Korean distilled spirit, and makgeolli a cloudy, lightly sparkling Korean rice brew.
Nagano, Niigata and Hyogo are long-established sake-producing prefectures. Prefecture matters in sake much as region does in wine: water chemistry, local rice varieties and brewing tradition all shape house style, and Niigata in particular is associated with a dry, clean profile.
Sake is sold by volume in 720 ml and 1.8 litre formats, and the label states the brewing grade alongside the alcohol content. Because most sake is unaged and unfortified, it is treated more like a fresh product than a spirit: cold storage preserves its aromatics, and brewers normally print a bottling date rather than a vintage. Shochu and soju, being distilled, are far more stable and keep at room temperature. Umeshu sits between the two, since its sugar content and lower strength make it less robust than a spirit once opened.
WNLQ9 lists 399 bottles, spanning sake, shochu, umeshu, soju. Origins by count include Japan (383), South Korea (14), Thailand (1).
Daiginjo indicates rice polished to at least 50 percent of its original grain size before brewing, which tends to produce a more aromatic and delicate sake. Junmai indicates that no distilled alcohol was added, so the sake is made from rice, water, yeast and koji alone.
It depends on the style. Aromatic ginjo and daiginjo sake are usually served chilled, since warmth disperses the aromatics they are made for. Fuller junmai and honjozo styles are often served warm, which softens their texture. Many sake are made to work across a range of temperatures, and the producer’s guidance is the most reliable indicator.
Most sake is made to be drunk young and keeps longest refrigerated, particularly unpasteurised namazake, which requires cold storage throughout. Once opened, sake is usually at its freshest within a week or two, as oxidation dulls its aromatics faster than it would a fortified wine or spirit.