The National Tax Agency of Japan, which controls alcohol beverages, defines them as beverages containing no less than 1% alcohol, and categorizes them into 4 types; brewed,

Brewed alcoholic beverages is made by fermenting sugars with the help of yeast (converting sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide, etc.).

As the word “Sakagura Banryu” (diversity of breweries) indicates, many breweries are, while following the basic sake brewing process, pursuing their unique style in accordance with their size of the brewery, facilities, taste and the quality they aim for. Here we will introduce one of the standard sake making methods.

When Shubo is made, move on to a large tank to do shikomi.

Sake-brewing rice, generally called “sakamai”, or sake rice, differs from table rice.

Sake is mainly made from rice containing neither sugars nor yeast, so it requires a prior process to make sugars and yeast from rice. The first important process is making rice koji.

What makes the most powerful impact on sake quality, such as aromas, tastes and flavor, is yeast.

Shikomi is a process of adding steamed rice into a mixture of shubo, koji and water, and then stirring it to make moromi.

You might have heard the phrase “Nada, the otoko-zake (man (or masculine) sake), Fushimi, the onna-zake (woman (or feminine) sake)”.

Toji or Touji are brewmasters. Sake brewing under the toji system started as one of the jobs for seasonal workers who used to be engaged in their family businesses in summer and go work away from home in winter.