An Introduction to Sake

Along with Japanese food and culture, sake has increasingly gained in popularity around the world. In the United States, there were only five brands of sake available in the 1970’s. Following the sake boom of the 1990’s, exports from Japan quadrupled, and today Americans can choose among 500 available brands.

In New York City, sake is becoming available even in American restaurants, and there is a growing demand for wide variety and premium quality. According to a brewer who has been exporting to the U.S. for more than ten years, the simple term “sake” once sufficed. But nowadays his customers are quite picky about their sake, ordering specific styles such as sweet, dry, ginjo, daiginjo and honjozo.

Michael John Simkin is one of the preeminent sake experts in the field, with extensive experience in the wine and spirits industry. Having visited over 50 sake breweries on 40 separate trips to Japan, he presents a series of articles on “Sake 101,” from the history and manufacturing process to food pairing, for Americans who would like to be more informed about sake.

1. What Is Sake and What Is It Made From
2. Sake Regions
3. The Process of Making Sake
4. Quality Categories of Sake
5. Styles of Sake
6. Sake and Food