LIFESTYLE | THE GOMMELIER
For Goodness Sake
Mold spores, microbial swordplay, liberated sugars and peppered grass. Sound familiar?
We didn’t think so. But Keith Hoffman does the dirty work to bring us the goods on sake.
R ice is an inert starting material for
fermentation, yet sake, and related
rice drinks, is made across the globe in
astounding amounts. How does this work?
When one brews beer, the malt (i.e.
partially sprouted grain) contains proteins
(enzymes) that cleave single sugar molecules
off of the backbone of rigid starches. Without
the scissor-like toil of such enzymes, yeasts
would have nothing to eat; they wouldn’t
be able to excrete their waste product, our
beloved alcohol. In short, brewing beer without
those enzymes would be impossible. Rice,
as a starting material for brewing, is like malt
in the fact that it is also full of starches and
has no free sugars. Unlike malt, however, rice
doesn’t contain any enzymes that can free
up and provide yeast with the sugary fuel of
fermentation. Some perceptive individual,
many, many years ago discovered the
solution—a mould named Koji.
The sake-making process starts with
the aggressive milling of special sake rice
grains, which differ markedly from regular
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food-grade rice. The degree of milling, in fact,
is the single most important characteristic
that determines not only the price, but also the
flavours, aromas and quality of all sake. Milling is
RICE WINE, YOU SAY?
vital as it sloughs off the outer layers of the rice
(that contain proteins and minerals, which would
produce unwanted flavours during fermentation)
to reveal a small heart of pure starch. These
virgin starch balls are carefully steeped,
steamed and then subjected to mould. The Koji
spores attack the rice with two sets of precision
chemical cutting tools. The first enzyme scythes
the starches into smaller segments, which then
enable a second enzyme to slash single sugar
molecules off of those fragments. Not quite. Sake is not a wine, as wines are
This process is repeated numerous times, made from the fermentation of sugars derived
under the watchful eye of the master brewer, from fruits. The sake-making process is more
who must keep a tight balance between such akin to beer brewing. The end alcohol content,
enzymatic swordplay. Next, fermentation however, is much different with sake having
can begin with specially selected, suicidal ethanol concentrations between 12 and 20
legions of fungi trained to devour those freshly percent. And premium sake should be enjoyed
emancipated sugars. A short lifecycle is cold. The steaming-hot stuff served in sushi
complete when the yeasts excrete their waste bars is universally low-grade swill.
product of pure alcohol, and then expire.

ÈAlthough invented in China, sake was perfected in Japan where it is enjoyed in all manner of settings.
The deceased moulds, yeast carcasses and
vacant rice remnants are eventually filtered
away. Now, the savoury components created
during this microbial epic can develop and
mature. And how. In fact, sake allegedly
contains more orders of magnitude and flavours
than even the finest wines. Thank you Koji, we
will remember your name.
KNOW YOUR… SAKE TERMS
Japanese sake labelling, product names,
brands, etc. can be hard to figure out. Further
complicating all this is that some vendors
disagree about where a brand name ends and
a product designation begins. In short, learn
the basics below, try them all, find out what you
like, and then just simply ask a knowledgeable
shopkeeper or waitress for it verbally.
• Junmai. Sake is made only with rice, water
and Koji, period. Junmai delivers everything that
is good about sake: body, acidity, flavours, layers,
aromas and richness. The essence of sake.
• Honjozo. Made with rice, water and Koji, but
also has the addition of pure alcohol after the
regular Junmai-style brewing process is over. The
addition of alcohol was once used as a cost-saving
ploy during WWII, when supplies of rice were
legally restricted to food uses only. In modern days,
it’s used as a way to enhance the aromas and
mouth feel of certain sakes. Honjozo provides an
aromatic and smooth sake, with hints of minerality
(which I love in sake as well as wine). Finally,
Honjozo is renowned for a clean, sharp finish.
• Ginjo. A premium sake, with rice milled down
to at least 60 percent of its original size, this is
THE GOMMELIER | LIFESTYLE
ANCIENT CHINESE SECRET
Like sushi, sake was invented in China.
Both delights were, however, perfected
and taken to obsessive, cultural and
delectable heights in Japan. Most of the
sake you are likely to encounter will
be Ginjo grade or above. Until recently,
Ginjo was exceptionally rare, as it was
only made for Japanese competitions and
not sold to consumers. Only during the
last 20 years or so has Ginjo been widely
produced and sold.
To make Ginjo, a number of age-old
processes have disappeared or been highly
modified. Wood storage and
fermentation vats are no
longer used, completely
different strains of yeast
are employed, different
rice is used and the milling
process now routinely
results in grains being
generally brewed at lower temperatures, allowing reduced down to 40 to 50
delicate smells and taste to materialise. As percent of their original
discussed, the extent to which the rice is milled size. One can often hear
is the single largest determining factor of sake faux connoisseurs
quality. Ample milling provides the brewer with a wax on about how the
rice heart of pure starch, free from any impurities ‘ancient techniques’
that could impact negatively on the flavours and employed in Japan
aromas produced during the brewing and ageing produce sakes
process. If complexity of aroma is what you like, that are obviously
then ask for the Ginjo style that emphasises smell far superior to,
over taste, known as ‘kaori ginjo’. A Ginjo made to for example, the
focus on flavour, rather than aroma, is the other excellent efforts of
main type, ‘aji ginjo’. the American sake
industry. Well, when
• Daiginjo. Super premium sake, with rice you hear that, take it
milled down to just 40 to 50 percent of its with a lot of salt, as
original size. It features all of the greatness of the modern methods
Ginjo, and more. used by both are
equally young.
Either one of the first two terms can be mixed
and matched with one of the last two terms
in various sake recipes. For example, one can able to ship it, but still capture those unique
enjoy a Honjozo Gingo, a Honjozo Diagingo, a Nama tastes and aromas.
Junmai Ginjo, or a Junmai Diaginjo, with the One final word you are going to see to
latter being the ultimate, and most expensive, describe a sake style is ‘Nigori’. This simply
of all sake. means ‘cloudy sake’ as the brewer has
Other terms you might run across are purposefully not filtered out some of the spent
‘Nama-sake’ and ‘Chozo-sake’. Nama is rice solids. Nigori sake can range from a small
completely unpasteurised (most sake is amount of rice and lees to an almost cottage
pasteurised right before bottling to help cheese texture. The flavours and aromas of
preserve it), fresh as can be from the brewing Nigori are less elegant as the lees and rice
process, and even contains living yeasts. It is, overpower most nuances.
therefore, prone to spoil fast so drink it quick! Iwai-zake? A term you should trot out if
Peppery and grassy notes dominate. you find yourself in Japan. To be asked to
Chozo can be thought of as a ‘semi- a native who knows how to party, as this is
Nama’ sake. Like Nama, it’s stored without a special sake. Iwai is served directly from
pasteurisation, but it does endure one round of a newly split barrel, to be enjoyed during
heating to semi-preserve it. The idea is to be raucous celebrations.
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