top of page

Understanding Sake Classifications & Types
A Complete Guide

Walking into a sake shop or looking at a restaurant menu can feel overwhelming. With so many terms like Junmai, Gingo, and Daiginjo, where do you even start?

To navigate sake labels like a professional sommelier, you only need to understand two main concepts: how much the rice is polished, and whether brewed alcohol is added. Let’s break it down into simple, practical categories.

 

Sake is about 15% alcohol, and it’s typically enjoyed during meals.

There are several categories of sake, divided into 2 big groups: junmai and non-junmai, or aruten.

Aruten comes from aru, short for arukōru アルコール (which is how Japanese pronounce the word alcohol) and ten, short for tenka 添加 (which means addition).

​

Junmai sake is made with rice, yeast, koji mold (the spore responsible for the saccharification), and water.

Non-junmai is made by adding distilled alcohol to the mix.

​

The milling percentage refers to how much of the rice grain is left after being polished

​​​

Useful tips for selecting sake:

  • The more the rice is milled (the smaller the percentage number is), the lighter and more floral the flavour profile will be

  • Adding distilled alcohol to the mix doesn't raise the alcohol percentage, but will help round up its flavour

  • Junmai sake tends to have better umami, whilst non-junmai sake has a rounder and more elegant flavour

​

bottom of page