Sep 28 2005
Sake training
Tonight marks my first outing to learn about Japanese sake (rice wine). There’s a more-Hollywood-than-Redondo place down the street from me which has 50 sakes on the menu. Add a little sushi and a knowledgeable bartender and away we go.
First off: it’s pronounced “sah-kay”.
I’ll have to do away with “sah-kee” if I want to sound remotely intelligent. Next, hot sake is crap. It’s meant to be served cold, usually but not always.
Three general flavors: dry, smooth, and sweet. It’s hard to tell the difference at first but you get into it. I can’t begin to tell you the names of the them because, a) I can’t read Japanese and b) I can’t remember Japanese. I guess it’ll take a lot of practice.
We were served the low to mid-range sake. $5 to $13 a glass. It can go to $30 a glass for the good stuff. As we left, Rob the bartender/manager/sake guide, already had our agenda ready for the next outing.
Other interesting facts:
- Sake can be served up to a year after being bottled, but no more because it doesn’t age
- Sake can last up to 3 months once opened, assuming it’s refridgerated
- There are “micro-sakes” but hard to find in the U.S.
- Like traditional wine from the vine, there are thousands (yes thousands) of brands of sake
I’m guessing this will be a life-long endeavor.
One Response to “Sake training”
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My wife and I went to a Japanese restauant recently and had a “sake flight,” which is a sake “sampler platter.” For $15, I got to try 3 different kinds of sake. Since I didn’t know ANYthing about sake, I thought this would be a nice introduction.
I had one sweet sake (nice); one dry sake (also nice); and one hot sake (blech). You’re right: it is crap. But I drank it anyway, cuz it was a $5 shot.
My impression is that sake is not for everyone, especially if Miller Lite is your favorite beer. However, I enjoyed trying something different, and I would like to try more. I don’t know if we have sake guides in south Florida, but I think I might look into it.