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Sake

Sake, or rice wine, has always been the primary alcoholic beverage in Japan, and I would love to see it move beyond sushi restaurant menus in the US. Even the cloudy versions, nigori sake, have such a purity to them that each sip is a joy to ponder. Expect more sake reviews in the Gourmez’s future, for sure.

Fun fact: Sake is brewed more like beer than fermented like wine in that starch, rather than fruit, produces the sugar that is converted to alcohol. Yet the term rice beer has never caught on! I’m blaming that on sake being served in small cups rather than pint glasses. Which is wise, as sake is made at 15% to 20% ABV, making it stronger than most wines and more than twice as strong as most beers.