5 sake myths you should forget immediately
Split
Table of contents
- Myth 1: Sake is "rice wine"
- Myth 2: Sake is high-proof spirits.
- Myth 3: Good sake must be hot (or ice cold)
- Myth 4: Added alcohol means cheap quality
- Myth 5: Sake gets better the longer it is stored.
Perhaps you've avoided sake until now, thinking it was that strange, hot stuff served for free in cheap restaurants. Or maybe you're afraid of its high alcohol content. Time to ditch those prejudices. Here's the truth.
Myth 1: Sake is "rice wine"
The truth is: Sake is more similar to beer than to wine.
The term "rice wine" persists, but is technically incorrect. Wine is fermented from fruit (grapes) that already contain sugar. Rice contains no sugar, but rather starch.
To make sake, this starch must first be converted into sugar – just like in brewing beer. The difference: with sake, the conversion (starch to sugar) and the fermentation (sugar to alcohol) happen simultaneously in the same tank. This is a globally unique craft, but definitely not wine.
Myth 2: Sake is high-proof spirits.
The truth is: sake is only slightly stronger than wine.
Sake is not a distillate like vodka, whiskey, or shochu. It doesn't "burn." While spirits often have 40% alcohol, sake is usually a relaxed 15% to 16% ABV. This is comparable to a robust Californian red wine or a Shiraz. So you can easily enjoy a glass or two with your meal without feeling faint.
Myth 3: Good sake must be hot
The truth is: Most premium sakes are best drunk chilled.
This myth originates from the post-war period, when the quality of sake was often so poor that it had to be heated to mask the off-flavors.
Today the following applies:
- Ginjo & Daiginjo (Premium): Drink these like white wine – slightly chilled to savor the fruity aromas. Heat would ruin them.
- Junmai & Honjozo (Rustic): These can be drunk warm (and taste wonderfully umami-rich), but don't have to be.
Myth 4: Added alcohol means cheap quality
The truth is: It's a style choice, not a cost-cutting measure.
Many people think sake with added brewer's alcohol ( honjozo ) is diluted to save costs. Wrong! Brewers often add a tiny amount of alcohol to extract flavors and aromas from the mash that wouldn't be extracted with water alone. Honjozo sakes are often lighter, more fragrant, and have a "cleaner" finish than pure rice sakes (junmai). It's simply a matter of taste.
👉 Try our Honjozo and taste the difference.
Myth 5: Sake gets better the longer it is stored.
The truth is: sake is a fresh product.
Don't save that good bottle of sake for the anniversary in 10 years! Sake contains no preservatives (sulfites) and hardly any acid to protect it. It's meant to be drunk fresh – ideally within 12 to 18 months of brewing.
Exception: Special "koshu" (aged sake), which is intentionally oxidized. But for 99% of all bottles: Fresh is best.
Prejudicated prejudices eliminated?
Now is the perfect moment to rediscover sake – the way it really tastes.
