Glossary of Sake Terms
The incredible world of alcoholic beverages comes with its own vocabulary — especially when it comes to sake and the Japanese language. Here’s a quick cheat sheet of some of the terms you may encounter on the Tippsy site throughout your sake journey. Take a deeper dive and learn more about Japan’s national beverage with our Sake Guide lessons!
Refers to the free run portion of the sake when it is pressed and separated from the sake lees.
A vessel made of tin, copper or brass designed to efficiently warm sake.
daiginjo | 大吟醸
Premium sake that uses rice with at least a 50% rice polishing ratio, with a touch of brewer’s alcohol to give it a light and clean finish and delicate aroma.
futsushu |普通酒
The sake equivalent of table wine, which does not fulfill the requirements of premium sake (“tokutei meishoshu”). “Futsu” translates to “ordinary,” and “shu” means “sake.”
Undiluted sake without any water added after pressing.
Sake made with rice polishing ratio of at least 60% with a bit of brewer’s alcohol added to enhance the aroma and give it a clean finish.
Traditional sake drinking vessel. It can be made from various materials such as ceramic, glass, wood, and tin. A bit larger than an “ochoko.”
hi-ire |火入れ
Pasteurization; basically heat treating the sake to sterilize it. This is done to make sake more shelf stable.
Hiyaoroshi is a seasonal sake released in the fall. Pasteurized just once in the spring after pressing and matured over the summer, it typically has a nuanced, deeper flavor. It is sometimes called “akiagari.”
Honjozo refers to a category of premium sake that uses a touch of brewer’s alcohol towards the end of fermentation to dissolve some of the insoluable solids and release the aroma.
Jozo alcohol refers to the high-strength distilled alcohol that is diluted and added at the end of the fermentation in some premium sake (also called brewer’s alcohol). This is done to enhance the aroma and to create a clean finish.
Directly translates to “pure rice,” and refers to premium sake not using any brewer’s alcohol.
Sake that has a minimum rice polishing ratio of 50%, and doesn’t use brewer’s alcohol.
Junmai ginjo is sake that has a minimum rice polishing ratio of 60%, and doesn’t use brewer’s alcohol.
Rice used by steaming to make “shubo” (yeast starter) or “moromi” (fermentation mash). It accounts for 70%-80% of the total amount of rice used in sake brewing.
(Also “kantsukuri.”) Sake brewing that takes place during the colder winter months of November through March.
Sake made with some of the water added during fermentation replaced with sake. The result is a sweeter, ageable sake that can be enjoyed as an aperitif or dessert.
Made with a traditional yeast starter method. Oar-like paddles are used to pulverize the steamed rice and koji in the mixture. Results in sake with complexity and pleasant acidity.
The Japanese name for yeast, a single-celled microorganism that breaks down the sugar produced by koji into alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is what produces flavors and aromas in sake.
Steamed rice that’s innoculated with koji-kin (koji spores) in sake making is called koji, or komekoji (rice koji). Koji is essential in sake making, providing the starch-to-sugar conversion necessary to make alcohol from rice.
Aged sake, usually with an amber color and slightly nutty flavor.
Workers engaged in sake production under the brewmaster.
May refer to the brewery or the brewery representative, such as the president or the family that owns the brewery.
Yeast strain distributed by the Brewing Society of Japan, aka association yeast. Sake quality improved with the distribution of sake yeast. *1
The main fermentation mash that produces alcohol from a mixture of yeast starter, kakemai (steamed rice), koji and water. *1
Sake that does not go through a fining process using activated charcoal. This is optional to include on the label, therefore not all unfined sake will say it is muroka.
Raw or unpasteurized sake. You can enjoy lively, fresh-from-the-vat flavors with nama, but they are more susceptible to heat damage, therefore keeping them refrigerated is recommended.
Sake matured without pasteurization, then pasteurized once before bottling. Namachozo can have a refreshing and bright flavor.
Sake matured after pasteurization, then released without the second pasteurization. Namazume is often released in the fall as “hiyaoroshi” or “akiagari.”
Premium sake that is coarsely filtered and cloudy with particles of the fermentation mash/sake lees left in the liquid.
Nihonshu, what is referred to in English as sake is a protected category designated by the World Trade Organization and defined by the National Tax Agency of Japan as of 2015. It is a part of “seishu” (official, legal name of sake in Japan) that is made from rice grown in Japan, rice koji, yeast, and sometimes a touch of brewer’s alcohol. *2
The Japanese word for
sake meter value
(SMV). Sake meter value indicates the density of sake, and although not a direct relationship to sweetness, can be used as a gauge for sweetness and dryness. Denser, negative (-) SMV indicates sweeter sake, and less dense positive (+) SMV indicates a drier sake.*1
ochoko |お猪口
A small vessel or cup, generally used for drinking sake.
Sake brewery
As opposed to table rice which is made for eating,
sake rice
is made for sake making.
sakazuki |盃
A small vessel for drinking sake, the top of which is spread wide like a morning glory. Often used for ceremonies as well as everyday drinking.
The word sake, when used in Japan, refers to any alcoholic beverage including beer, wine, sake, shochu, and so forth. When used in English, sake refers to nihonshu which is a brewed alcoholic beverage made from rice, rice koji, yeast and sometimes a touch of brewer’s alcohol.
Rice polishing ratio RPR for short, it is the percentage of rice that remains by weight after polishing/milling the de-husked rice kernels. *1
The legal and official name for sake in Japan.
Literally translates to “mother of sake,” and refers to the yeast starter. *1
Ceritfied sake rice that is grown specifically for sake making, such as Yamadanishiki, Gohyakumangoku, etc.
Sake stored in wooden vats, typically for a few weeks, to take on the flavor, aroma and color of the wood. Cedar or cypress is often used for these wooden vats.
Brewmaster
Toji in Japanese can also refer to a toji guild. There are different guilds representing unique regional styles. Examples of these are Nanbu Toji, which originated in Iwate prefecture; Echigo Toji, which originated in Niigata prefecture; Noto Toji, which originated on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture; and Tamba Toji, which originated in Hiroshima prefecture.
A narrow-necked carafe for sake made of ceramic, metal or other materials.
“Tokubetsu” means special, and tokubetsu honjozo is a legal premium sake category in Japan that is a special type of honjozo, typically with a 60% or less rice polishing ratio.
“Tokubetsu” means special, and tokubetsu junmai is a legal premium sake category, typically with a 60% or less rice polishing ratio.
Specially designated sake that fulfills the National Tax Agency’s requirements as premium sake, as opposed to futsushu (ordinary sake).
A traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage made with ume fruit. Although often translated in English as “plum wine,” ume and plum are actually different fruits, and the base is typically a Japanese distillate called shochu, or sake. *3
Made with a traditional kimoto yeast starter method without the use of oar-like paddles; more rustic and bold in flavor.
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