Q２. What is Sake made from?

A２. Rice, Koji, water (and depending on the variety, brewer's alcohol) are the major ingredients.

Q3. How are the different varieties of Sake classified?

A3. The Sake varieties are classified by the difference in ingredients and the rice-polishing ratio.

	ingredients	rice-polishing ratio
Daiginjo-shu	Rice, Koji, water and brewer's alcohol	50% or less
Ginjo-shu	Rice, Koji, water and (brewer's alcohol)	60％or less
Junmai Daiginjo-shu	Rice, Koji, and water	50% or less
Junmai Ginjo-shu	Rice, Koji, and water	60％or less
Junmai-shu	Rice, Koji, and water	-
Honjozo-shu	Rice, Koji, water and brewer's alcohol	70％or less

Q4. At what temperature should sake be enjoyed?

A4. Sake is very unique that it can be served either chilled, at room temperature or warmed. Sake drastically changes its flavor depending on serving temperature. Best serving temperature is usually based on brewing method used for the sake.

　

Please refer to our homepage for serving temperatures and other Sake information.

Q5. What kind of glasses or cups should Sake be served in?

A5. When served chilled, we recommend ceramic cups or small glass. Regardless of serving temperature, we highly recommend Japanese style smaller size drinking cup called “ Sakazuki. ”

<Chilled sake> Eggshell shaped ceramic or glass are recommended for chilled sake. Sake will stay cold longer when served in smaller cups.
１．For Ginjo and Honjozo with smooth texture, small and thin cups or glass are recommended. ２．For Daiginjo and Ginjo, glass with wider rim and narrow (small) base is recommended. Wide opening enhances pleasant aroma of those kinds. For Junmai, round glass with small opening is recommended to keep the aroma inside which enhances its taste. ３．For Funaguchi, shorter rock glass used for whiskey is recommended. For its full-bodied, concentrated flavor, this sake can be enjoyed on the rocks as well.
<Warm Sake> Small cylindrical, vessel-shaped sakazuki is considered ideal for warm sake, as it releases aroma and makes it easier to sip.
1. Fully fill a Sake bottle (Tokkuri) with Sake. 2. Bring water in a deep pan to lukewarm. Place sake bottle ( Tokkuri ) inside the pan and warm it for 3-4 minutes till lukewarm, or 5 minutes till hot depending on your liking.
Temperatures Lukewarm (body temp:at95°F or 35℃）  Warm to the touch Strong aroma, Especially hot 122°F or50℃) Steamy and hot to the touch Sharp taste and aroma
Drinking cups and glass bring out different aspects of Sake. The shape and material of the cup/glass will affect how the flavor of the sake will spread inside the mouth and go down the throat.  Having said that, Sake will still taste good no matter how it is served, so enjoy.

Q6. What's the expiration date and how should I store sake?

A6. Sake is extremely delicate alcoholic beverage, especially　sensitive to heat and light, it is highly recommended to be stored in a cool, dark place. Refrigeration is most highly recommended.
Un-opened sake starts to lose flavor after 12 months, however it is not harmful to your health even consumed after 12 months. If you do not like the flavor of sake that has passed 12 months from the date shown on the bottle, dispose or use it for cooking.
Once it's opened, you should finish it fairly soon.

Q7. How does "Funaguchi" change its flavor and color as time goes by?

A7. Unlike majority of sake， Funaguchi is not pasteurized． Thus koji yeast and enzymes from the yeast are still alive． Because of these characteristics，this unpasteurized，draft sake offers different depth of savors as it ages．However depending on the conditions that is stored under，it may increase sourness in flavor．It is highly recommended to store all unpasteurized sake including Funaguchi in cool，dark place.

Q8. This one tastes different from the one I had before.

A8. That happens quite often. Major causes are stored condition of the sake, your body condition of the day, how you drink it, and so on.

[Condition of the sake] Storing condition effects flavor of sake. Also main ingredient of sake is rice. Although we are trying our best to maintain exactly same flavor all the time, rice is a crop, and it comes out slightly different every year depending on temperature of the year.

[Your condition] Your physical, psychological state and the environment (place you are at, who you are drinking with) effect the taste of sake as well. It is a same theory that water tastes so much better when you are very thirsty than when you are not.

[How you drink it] What you are eating with sake or temperature of sake ( cold of hot) effect the taste of sake as well. For instance, if you eat orange right after chocolate, it tastes so much more sour. And room temperature juice tastes so much sweeter than the cold one. Thus taste of sake may vary each time for many reasons.

Q9. Many cans are dented….

A9. When the whole case is dropped or gets some impact from outside, the impact sets off a chain reaction, and all cans could get dented.
Usually cans in the center of the case get dented most easily receiving impacts from both sides.

Q10. Caps won't open!

A10. This is caused mainly by twisting the cap in opposite direction.
Once you twist caps in opposite direction, the cap will get loosened up and won't catch.

Q11. Ring pull came off when I tried to open a can.

A11. If you twist when you pull up the ring, or if you don't pull it straight upward, the edge of the ring won't touch the pre-cut opening from right angle, and it becomes hard to open, or the ring might come off.
Please pull the ring straight upward when opening.