11 Misconceptions About Sake – Otemba Sake

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11 Misconceptions About Sake

So most of you have heared of sake but what is sake exactly? 

1) Sake is called Nihonshu in Japan. Sake means alcoholic beverage in Japanese.
We call sake, sake and not saki (This is what the Dutch dubbed it when they first encountered it in the 1600s). And it is not rice wine. But the real name for sake is nihonshu or seishu. 

2) Sake is fermented / brewed and not distilled!
That’s why it is called a sake brewery, because sake is fermented like wine and beer. It is not a hard liquor.

3) Sake has an alcohol content close to that of wine!
Sake is not as boozy as gin, vodka, or other spirits. It has an average alcohol content of 15-16%, which is a couple points above that of wine. Genshu (undiluted sake) can have an alcohol percentage of around 20%.

4) Sake can be served at more temperature points than any other alcohol!
Sake is not only drank warm. Most premium sake's are drank cold or at room temperature. How awesome is a beverage that can be warmed, chilled, frozen or kept at room temperature? Pretty awesome when you consider the weather and cuisines that go better with a different temperature sake?

5) There are only 4 ingredients in sake!

Come on you know them: rice, water, koji mold and yeast! Of course some sakes have a little distilled brewers alcohol, but on the whole these few ingredients are responsible for so many complex flavors. Amazing!

6) Sake has hundreds of aroma and flavor components like wine!
Anything that you can taste or smell in a wine you can find in sake. Sake does not simply taste just like rice. In fact, most sakes don’t taste like rice at all.

7) Sake has no sulfites!

Sake is pasteurized, so it does not need a preservative like sulfites.

8) Sake has 1/3rd the acidity of wine!
For those who easily get reflux, sake is a far friendlier libation!

9) Sake has very low histamines!
Tired of getting the histamine wine headache or face blushing? Sake has far lower histamine levels and drinks far cleaner!

10) Sake is 80% water!
When sake is in it’s final saleable form it is 80% water, and is one of the cleanest burning “fuels” in the alcohol market, which means far fewer post-drinking headaches.

11) Sake is not only made in Japan!
Will sake brewing be the next hype? Sake is made in many countries from several Asian countries to Australia, Brazil, Canada, USA and now some small breweries are starting in Europe too!

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