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).

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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.

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

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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

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