Fun Facts

Sake has been around for centuries, and with it comes some surprising stories, quirky facts, and cultural gems. Here are a few of my favorites!
 

🍶Sake or Nihonshu?
Let’s start with the name! Around the world, this drink is known as sake, but in Japan, sake (酒) actually means alcohol in general.
If you want to sound like a pro, call it Nihonshu (日本酒)—literally “Japanese alcohol.”

 

👅 The secret (spitty) ingredient
Long ago, when sake was brewed at shrines and temples, the brewing process included a… very human ingredient: saliva!
Miko (巫女)—young women who assist Shinto priests—would chew steamed rice and spit it into a bucket to ferment. It sounds wild now, but at the time, it was a great honor.

Why? Because enzymes in saliva break starch into sugar, a key step in sake brewing.
Thankfully, koji mold later took over that role (and tastes much better too 😅).

 

🌫️ Nigori: the old-new trend
Nigori (にごり) is cloudy sake, creamy and textured. Today, it's popular in bars and sake cocktails.
But did you know? All sake used to be nigori! Before pressing techniques were developed, sake was naturally cloudy.
So really, it's less of a new thing… and more of a delicious throwback!

 

♨️ The truth about warm sake
Think warm sake = bad sake? Nope! That’s just a myth.
Warming sake is an old Japanese tradition, especially in winter. It enhances aroma, smooths texture, and even helps with digestion.
Hot, cold, or room temp—how you enjoy sake is totally up to you. It’s all about balance, food pairing, and your own preferences.

#haveanicesake