In Europe, a bottle of sake usually costs 30 Euros or more. That’s more than what most people tend to spend on wine or similar beverages. But how much does it actually cost to produce sake and what are prices like in Japan?

There’s a sake for every occasion – and sparkling sake can be a real alternative to Champagne. But how is sparkling sake produced? And what’s the difference between artificial carbonation and Champagne-style natural carbonation?

Every winter, mysterious green balls pop up at sake breweries around Japan. Let’s find out what they mean!

What cookbooks pair well with sake? We have compiled a list of our favourite Japanese cookbooks that has something for beginners and aspiring chefs alike.

One term that will eventually come up when you’re getting into Sake is “Junmai”. But what does it mean and how important is it really?

B.Y. stands for Brewery Year. But a sake from the year 25 isn’t from the future!

Tokyo is always worth a visit, especially for sake fans! In this article we introduce a few liquor stores with an exceptionally good selection of sake.

While the analogy “what grapes are to wine, rice is to sake” isn’t quite true, rice is naturally still a very important element of sake production and has an influence on the character of the final product. In this article, we will talk a bit about rice farming and have a look at some of the most popular rice varieties used for sake brewing.

Large amounts of water are used at almost every step of the brewing process (ca. 30 times the volume of the finished product) and roughly 80% of a bottle of sake is H₂O. So it goes without saying that water quality plays an important role in defining the quality and character of a sake.

While we try to offer quality content for both novices and more advanced sake-geeks, there are many experts out there who know even more than we do. So if you want to dig even deeper, here are some sake related books worth checking out.

As temperatures are getting cooler here in Europe, the leaves are changing colour and we all spend more time indoors. What better time to have look at warm sake!

Many people want to reduce their consumption of animal products, be it for health, social or environmental reasons. But in wine and beer production, animal products are often used as clarification agents, although the main ingredients are otherwise vegan. How about sake then?

The changing climate is affecting agriculture all over the world in multiple ways: shorter growing seasons, unpredictable rainfall patterns and more extreme weather phenomena are becoming the new norm. Rice, especially brewing rice, is very vulnerable to these threats.

One thing you might want to know when picking a bottle of sake is ‘will this be sweet or dry-tasting?’ The different grades of premium sake (like Junmai or Ginjo) tell you what to expect in terms of aroma and umami, but brewers are free to decide for themselves how much sweetness they want their sake to have. So how can you tell?

Deciphering sake labels can be difficult, all the more so if you don’t know any Japanese (and even then, the artistic calligraphy can complicate things). Luckily, many importers will add their own back label to the sake they sell. But if you have bottle without such information, this article will help you out.

We’ve covered the main styles of sake, but there are a few more to look at that, while maybe not as common, are worthy of attention: cloudy nigori, sweet kijoushu or woody taru-zake, for example.

As the seasons change, so does the sake. From the fresh and lively new releases in early spring to the matured and rounded Akiagari in autumn. Here we present some of the most important seasonal offerings.

If you only drink sake once in a while, it can be difficult to find words to describe the aroma and taste of a particular sake and how it differs from another. This article will introduce some of the common flavours and aromas you find in sake.

The small cups traditionally used for serving sake are often mistaken for shot glasses. But there’s a whole range of vessels for sake, in all kinds of materials. Let’s have a look at some of the options and how to best enjoy sake at home! (Hint: you probably already have the perfect glass!)

A continually updated and annotated list of sake shops in Europe and elsewhere.