Kanpai*! Why you should toast 2024 with a glass of Sake *That’s ‘cheers!’ in Japanese

Ask anyone outside Japan to name a Japanese drink and the first answer will probably be sake. However, ask them to explain exactly what it is and what it tastes like, and you’ll likely draw a blank stare.

Because while sake has been a beloved staple in its homeland since the 3rd century, the drink has yet to gain wide appeal elsewhere.

But with the trend towards more experimentation with retro spirits and wines being fueled by social media, it won’t be long before sake comes into the spotlight in Britain.

Sake is wine made by fermenting rice instead of grapes, which is then ‘brewed’ into alcohol. The end result is closer to dry white wine, especially with the more expensive sakes.

The color varies from water white to very pale gold and the flavors are subtle, with typical notes of blossom, melon, apple and warm rice porridge.

Usually between 15 and 17 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), there is also no hard afterburn. Instead, you get a silky mouthfeel with a soft, natural sweetness. A caress, not a slap.

Initially used for religious ceremonies and even as currency centuries ago, the drink is still a ritual part of business and social gatherings in Japan.

The easiest way to judge quality is to see how polished the rice is before brewing. Rice grains have outer layers of fats, lipids and proteins that, if not removed, can affect the taste.

In super-premium sake, such as the ginjo and daiginjo styles, as much as 60 percent of the rice grain can be polished away before brewing, creating the purest, most delicate, and most expensive sake.

However, most sake produced today, especially the stuff you get served hot at sushi restaurants, is the non-premium, table sake futsushu.

This will be made with cheaper, lower quality rice that is much less polished and has had a good dose of distilled alcohol added to it, bringing the alcohol content to around 20 percent. It’s definitely rustic, but still more wine than spirits.

However, adding alcohol is not a sign of poor quality; it is often more of a style choice. For example, if it is a small amount of high-quality spirits, such an addition helps to extract more delicate aromas and flavors and makes the sake more balanced.

If a sake, even a high-quality one, has no alcohol added, it will generally be fuller, creamier and earthier, with more pronounced rice and fruit flavors.

Junmai (which means ‘pure rice’) is the style where no alcohol is added, and it depends on your personal taste which method you prefer.

The next decision is whether to drink sake hot or cold. Most of us have probably only tried it warm, poured into small ceramic cups called ochoko, which actually does very little for the taste of the drink; the warming often also masks an inferior product. But the more premium you go, the more delicate the drink.

You’ll want to keep your highly polished, non-junmai daiginjo and ginjo styles cool and serve them in wine glasses to reveal the subtle aromas and flavors.

Whole junmai styles are quite versatile and can be enjoyed cool, at room temperature or even slightly warmer.

So how about toasting 2024 on New Year’s Eve with a glass of sake?

Armed with our beginner’s guide, these bottles are an excellent place to start. Get ready to say cheers — or kanpai!

MELON NOTES

Sawanotsuru, £5 for 18cl, Sainsbury’s

If you’re new to sake and don’t want to spend a fortune, this cheap and cheerful bottle is a good choice to try hot or cold. It’s rustic and meaty, with notes of honeydew melon and cooked white rice. 2/5

JUST AWESOME

Choya, £11.95 for 72cl, The Whiskey Exchange

Great for novices as this is made in a style intended for a more European wine palate. The Choya is a full-bodied junmai that will appeal to fans of Viognier or Chardonnay. 5/5

CREAMY ELEGANCE

Samurai Junmai Daiginjo, £38.33 for 72cl, Master of Malt

Showcasing the difference that serious polishing makes to rice, this sake is very elegant, but also has a smooth, creamy texture and subtle notes of hazelnuts and anise. Complex, but cool and smooth. 4/5

Delicious Umami

Kubota Hyakuju Honjozo, £24 (was £30) for 72cl, shop.yutaka.london

A nice example of a honjozo style, which means that only a small dash of alcohol is added during fermentation. This sake is dry but packed with smooth umami flavors, from dried mushrooms to macadamia nuts, cocoa and orange peels. 3/5

PREMIUM TIPPEL

Yamahai Daiginjo, £20.99 for 30cl, Selfridges

This is a fantastic, accessible example of a premium, non-junmai sake. Pure, fresh and balanced – think white blossom, melon and white peach. Serve cold in a wine glass to experience the full flavor. 4/5

FOAMING FUN

Takara Shirakabegura MIO sparkling, £8.50 for 30cl, Ocado

Prosecco lovers will really enjoy this fun and frothy sparkling sake. Aromatic with a hint of sweetness and subtle notes of white rice, a delicious aperitif. 3/5