Monday, January 23, 2023

Rant: Drink Warm Sake!

"I like sake. Especially when it’s served at the correct temperature, 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit, like this is.”
--James Bond in You Only Live Twice (1967)

My first experience with Sake was at a Chinese restaurant where I ordered a tokkuri of hot Sake. The drinks menu didn't even list the brand of Sake. When it arrived at my table, the server poured some of the hot Sake into my ochoko. As I lifted the tiny cup to my nose, fumes from the Sake assaulted my eyes, almost like paint thinner. It was much too hot, very harsh, and wasn't pleasant in the least. 

Unfortunately, my experience is far too common and many people who have had a similar one believe they dislike all Sake. They also often believe that Sake must be served hot. 

Fortunately for me, I gave chilled Sake a chance and fell in love with it. Most premium Sake is best when serve slightly chilled, however there are plenty of exceptions. Sake shouldn't be served as hot as you would drink a glass of tea. It should be more gently warmed, although it can be served at a range of warmer temperatures, with each point in that range presenting a slightly different taste profile. As the Sake slowly cools in your glass, it can be fascinating to monitor its flavor profile over the course of time. It also can pair well with a variety of foods. 

It is an experience more people should try, I want everyone to start drinking more warm Sake! Especially during the winter, during this chillier weather. 

Let's examine some of the history of warm Sake. The first historical written references to warmed Sake were between 905 and 927 AD., so it may have originated sometime in the 9th century. By the early 17th century, it became common to drink warmed Sake between the 9th day of the 9th month, called the Chrysanthemum Festival, and the 3rd day of the 3rd month of the following year, called the Plum Festival

Essentially, they were generally drinking warmed Sake during the winter months. Around the start of the 18th century or so, numerous people started drinking warmed Sake year round. Only a few decades before that happened, the written character for kan, the general term for "warm Sake," was created.

There are different theories for why the Japanese started to drink warm Sake though the most plausible seems to be for health reasons. In China, people had been drinking warmed alcohol in the winter for many centuries and eventually this practice likely made its way to Japan. In some Eastern health traditions, eating and drinking warmed items is thought to be much better than cold things, which were thought to chill the the body. So staying warm in the winter and overall health seem to have been the driving factors. A Japanese philosopher and scientist, Kaibara Ekiken, also wrote a book stating that drinking warmed Sake improves the circulation of your chi, life force.

Heating cheap Sake also made it taste better, covering its flaws. With the advent in Japan of premium Sake, such as more complex Ginjo and Daiginjo Sakes, chilled Sake started to take hold, as heating was often thought to take away some of the more delicate flavors in these more highly polished Sakes. As such, many people now provide general advice to drink premium Sake slightly chilled, and for most cases it probably is excellent advice. 

However, there is definitely premium Sake that can be drank warm, but it is more difficult to explain to someone about these exceptions, to tell them which Sakes should be drank warm, and how they should be warmed, Sometimes the back label of a Sake bottle will recommend serving temperatures, but that is not always the case.

Sake shows different flavor profiles, dependent on its temperature. In general, the higher the temperature, the sweeter the Sake will seem. Sake also contains different types of acids, from malic acid to succinic acid, and each acid has a specific temperature that will make it more dominant. For example, succinic acid tends to dominate more at higher temperatures, while malic acid is more prominent at lower temperatures. As such, there is no one perfect temperature to taste a Sake. The flavor profile will vary, dependent on the temperature, so the optimum temperature will come down to your personal preference. 

I own the Twinbird Electric Sake Warmer (pictured at the top) which is easy to use, and warms Sake to several different temperatures. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who would like to warm Sake at home. 

Please try some warm Sake. Experience its complexity and intriguing flavors. See how the Sake changes as the temperature varies. See how well warm Sake can pair with various foods. Be adventurous and journey down the path of warm Sake. 

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