What is sake and how is it made?

Sake is an alcoholic beverage that originated in Japan hundreds of years ago and is now enjoyed around the world. Despite being sometimes called a “rice wine”, Sake is actually a brewed beverage that is more similar to beer than it is to wine. Sake typically has an ABV of around 15%. 

Sake is made from 4 ingredients: rice, yeast, water and Koji. First, rice is washed and then steamed. Then the rice goes into a special room where the environment is tightly controlled called the “Koji Room” where a special enzyme called Koji is sprinkled on the rice. The Koji converts the starch in the rice to sugar. Then, yeast and water is added to the rice in a large container to start the fermentation process of converting the sugar in alcohol. One the mixture is fermented to the right ABV, then the mixture is pressed which separates the liquid from the residue rice. Typically, the sake is the bottled and pasteurized for longer shelf life.