It feels like summer was only yesterday, and behold, it's already the end of the year! And it’s a great time to try new sake. Not only there are plenty of opportunities to try it at various tastings but also it’s a good way to celebrate the New Year a bit differently with a glass of sparkling sake at the midnight or a tumbler of nice mellow koshu at the end of the night. Read about my 5 choices of festive sake and make your choice. Kampai!
After a stressful house move, we managed to sleep through the flight and landed in Japan. We hoped to relax in Kyoto but had to move from Airbnb to a hotel. Read about our first day in Japan!
Autumn is a special time for sake. To help you to choose a right sake I have selected 5 sake to drink with hearty autumn meals. I have also included a few simple tips how to choose a perfect autumn sake! Kampai!
“So when could we go?” my daughter asked. She meant Japan, of course. Ever since our first trip there in 2016, I have wanted to go back. I had this…
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Have you ever experienced that sweet feeling when you have been contemplating about doing something for some time and finally accomplishing it? You look back and say: Yes, we did it! Sugidama Tsukimi Sake Drinks were fun and a great opportunity to meet old and new friends with a glass of sake.
Tsukimi (月見）is an ancient Japanese tradition of autumn moon viewing. So what did and does tsukimi involve? At the very beginning, it was a moon-viewing party at which people play music and compose poetry. I assume that Heian aristocrats were drinking sake on those parties as well.
SSI taste profiles is a great way to assess and remember the sake you try. The Sake Service Institute (SSI) have divided all the sake into four categories, kun-shu, sou-shu, jun-shu and juku-shu based on two criteria: aroma and flavour. Read a brief overview of all the four profiles including examples of sake for each.
Rice is the essence of sake. It's the source of alcohol and gives it its flavour, aroma, texture and the character. It’s like grape to wine but slightly different.
Summer is a perfect time to try sake. You can enjoy a sparkling sake while chilling out in the shade, a robust junmai sake with BBQ or refined ginjo sake at a dinner party. Just look out for opportunities!