When enjoying Japanese food and sushi, what is your beverage of choice? If your answer is not saké, chances are you will soon have more opportunities to select it. After all, exports of Japan’s national drink have reached an all-time high—and for a beverage that’s been around since the eighth century, it seems due for its time in the spotlight.
But the boost in saké consumption isn’t exclusive to what is imported from Japan; good saké is now being brewed across the United States, from Minnesota to Oregon to Texas. The brands are reasonably priced, which allows more Americans to try it for the first time. (Or second time for those of you scarred by a bad saké experience years ago when its inferior taste was palatable only served either piping hot or camouflaged in an ice-cold glass of Sapporo. You know who you are.) In fact, these local producers have helped pave the way for the demand for more premium-quality saké in America.
But why now? Because restaurants serving premium saké means diners are finally being exposed to a drink that was brewed specifically to highlight and complement the delicate nuances and flavors that sushi and Japanese food are known for. And at the risk of being captain obvious, saké is brewed from rice, the same foundational ingredient in every Japanese kitchen and most sushi items. Is it a coincidence that the two complement each other so well?
Today, the best saké is served cold and is as fascinating in flavor, fragrance and history as any fine wine, beer or spirit. Speaking of such beverages, I frequently hear different definitions for saké. Often it is labeled as a wine due to its lack of carbonation and relatively high alcohol content (15-20%), however, since it is produced with grain and not fruit, some categorize it with beer. The truth is, despite saké being an extremely pure beverage (essentially made of just rice and water), the process of making it is complex to say the least and, therefore, has earned its right to reside in a category all its own.
With that said, such complexity can bring confusion to a novice customer trying to navigate a restaurant saké list or wine store shelves. Combine that with plenty of nomenclature like rice milling percentages, geographic location of the water and labels written in kanji (Japanese characters) and you have a sure-fire roadblock to exploring and enjoying this wonderful beverage.
While the capacity of this article is not to define each category, grade or step in the brewing process, in the end, the fragrance and flavor of a saké—and whether or not it appeals to you—is all that matters. There is really no right or wrong and just as with wine or beer, practice does eventually make perfect in finding the right saké for you with or without food.
The sauvignon blancs and Sapporos aren’t going anywhere. Give your next sushi experience a spring awakening with saké. Then raise your glass to toast your sense of adventure (and good taste). Kanpai!
