Temperature and how to drink
Sake changes with temperature, and every step from snow-chilled (5 °C) to piping hot (55 °C and above) has a name: as a rule of thumb, chill fragrant ginjo and warm rich junmai, kimoto and yamahai.
Sake temperatures
Few drinks change as much with temperature as sake. Each temperature even has its own poetic name.
Warmed (kan)for junmai, kimoto, yamahai
- 55℃+Tobikiri-kansharp, dry sake
- 50℃Atsu-kaneveryday sake on cold nights
- 45℃Jō-kanhonjozo, dry sake
- 40℃Nuru-kanjunmai, kimoto, yamahai
- 35℃Hitohada-kanrice sweetness opens up
- 30℃Hinata-kangentle umami
Chilled (hiya)for ginjo and namazake
- 20℃Jōon / hiyajunmai, aged sake
- 15℃Suzu-biearomatic sake
- 10℃Hana-bieginjo and daiginjo
- 5℃Yuki-bienamazake, crisp dry sake
Rule of thumb: chill fragrant ginjo; warm rich junmai, kimoto and yamahai. But it's a guide, not a law.
Glasses
- Wine glass: best for ginjo aromas.
- Ochoko / guinomi: small cups for warm sake and everyday drinking.
- Masu: the wooden box cup, for celebrations.
How to drink shochu
- On the rocks: the ingredient at its most direct.
- With water: great with food; maewari (mixing a day ahead) makes it extra smooth.
- With hot water: pour the hot water first, then the shochu, and it mixes by itself. 6 shochu : 4 water is the classic. Imo shochu's aroma opens up most this way.
- With soda: refreshing with barley or light imo shochu.
How to drink awamori
Regular awamori with water or on the rocks. Kusu neat, in small sips, to enjoy the aroma.
Terms in this article
Also read
- How long sake keeps and how to store itWhy there is no best-before date, how long bottles keep, fridge or shelf.
- How to warm sakeHot-water bath or microwave, the temperatures, and which sake to warm.
- How to mix shochuRatios and strength for shochu on the rocks, with water, hot water or soda, and maewari.
- Matching sake with foodMatch the weight, lean on salt and umami, mind the aroma and temperature.