A Sake Sommelier Distills the Appeal of Sake - Men's Folio
Lifestyle, Wine & Dine

A Sake Sommelier Distills the Appeal of Sake

  • By Bryan Goh

A Sake Sommelier Distills the Appeal of Sake sushi kou
Low in hangover triggers and smoother than wine, Master Sake Sommelier Makoto Iwabuchi states the appeal of sake as the perfect summer drink.

Strangely, sake has a fraudulent reputation. That is not to say it is not delicious which it most certainly is (one cannot deny the appeal of sake with its light, fragrant flavours that range from sweet to fruity or savoury to delicate). The confusion lies in its clarity — how this seemingly harmless liquid hovers at an alcohol by volume percentage of 15% to 17% that makes it just about as potent as wine, more so than beer, and half of shooters of whisky or vodka. It does not help either that they are usually served inconspicuously in tiny shot glasses, demanding to be pounded till one reaches nirvana-like stupor. 

 

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Makoto Iwabuchi, the master sake sommelier (Iwabuchi is ranked among Japan’s top three sake experts) at Sushi Kou — an eight-seater omakase restaurant — believes that sake is the superior summer beverage to wine. “Compared to wine, sake has less acidity, is sweeter and has a greater umami flavour. Sake pairing is also easy and the possibilities are endless. Light and refreshing sakes (like Honjo, Nama sake, etc.) are mainly scented with fruits, herbs and minerals. The taste is refreshing and it has a light aroma and taste. With such light sakes, it’s good to pair with food that’s on a lighter side (seafood or chicken that’s raw or steamed). With aged sake, it’s best to pair with richer food (meats like beef that have been seasoned with miso or oyster sauce).”

Can the delicacy and deliberate drinking of sake be compared to the simplicity of cracking a cold one? The first answer is in the calorie count —100 grams of sake contain 103 calories whereas beer only contains 40 calories. That is not to say it pales in summer appeal as one does not drink it as much as they do with beers. That forms the second answer and is what is known as “sessionability” — how one can drink more than four rounds and still have a session of semi-intelligent conversations. It does not rank highly on the list of hangover inducing beverages because simply put, it is just fermented rice and water. No sulfites, histamines or acidity that demand a perch on the golden throne, a common occurrence with drinks that contain said triggers like wine. 

 

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“First-timers should look out for sakes like Ginjo or Daiginjo with fruitier notes, I believe it will be enjoyed by those who are new to sakes as such bottles typically have the aroma of tropical fruits like banana, pineapple or melon, green apple or pear, and lychee or white flower.”

“I recommend having the Kokuryu Junmai Daiginjo Muni with steamed egg served with snow crab at Sushi Kou. The delicate texture of sake matches the texture of chawanmushi, which brings out the sweetness of the crab. Or, the Juyondai Junmai Daiginjo Ryusen with the steamed abalone served with liver sauce. Using one of the finest sake to match this fine dish is a traditional approach but also the best pairing!”

However if one is still holding on to a bottle, we highly encourage polishing it off before the summer ends. After all, it is a grain beverage that does not improve with age like wine and the only effort is chilling it in the fridge before drinking. 

This story about the appeal of sake as told by the master sake sommelier of Sushi Kou first appeared in our June/July 2021 issue