The Best Sake for Beginners (and Where to Drink It)
2024-12-10 · 5 min read
Sake intimidates people because the labeling system seems designed to exclude newcomers. Junmai, Ginjo, Daiginjo, Tokubetsu. It sounds like a foreign language because it is. But the core concept is simple: sake is brewed rice wine, and the main quality indicator is how much of the rice grain has been polished away before brewing. More polishing generally means lighter, more refined sake.
Start with Junmai Ginjo, which sits in the sweet spot between accessible and interesting. The rice is polished to at least 60 percent, removing enough of the outer grain to produce clean, fruity flavors without the austere austerity of a Daiginjo. Dassai 45 is the most widely available example and a perfectly respectable starting point. It is light, slightly sweet, and works both chilled and at room temperature.
Hakkaisan, from Niigata prefecture, makes some of the cleanest, most drinkable sake available internationally. Their Tokubetsu Junmai is an excellent daily drinker: dry, crisp, and balanced with a mineral quality that comes from the region's snow-melt water. It pairs beautifully with sushi and sashimi but works equally well with Western food.
For something with more character, try a Junmai sake, which uses no added brewer's alcohol and tends to have a richer, more rice-forward flavor. Tedorigawa from Ishikawa prefecture makes a Junmai that is earthy and slightly funky in the best way, with an umami quality that makes it exceptional with grilled meats and mushroom dishes.
Where to drink matters. In New York, Sakagura is a subterranean sake bar with one of the city's deepest sake lists. In Los Angeles, Ototo in Echo Park offers an approachable sake menu paired with Japanese bar snacks. In London, Sake no Hana serves premium sake alongside modern Japanese cuisine. And in Tokyo, any standing sake bar in Yurakucho's alley under the train tracks will serve you better than most restaurants anywhere else.
