The word sake in Japanese can refer to any alcoholic beverage, but in general, it is used in English to mean a specific type of rice alcohol, also known as nihonshu. Sake is sometimes called rice wine, but in truth, it is not a wine, nor is it exactly a beer, nor a spirit. Sake is a rather unique type of fermented alcohol.
To begin the fermentation process, sake is milled down until mostly only starch remains. At this point, the starch is fermented to turn into sugar, then further fermented so that the sugars transform into alcohol. This is somewhat similar to the production of beer, but unlike beer brewing, the starch breakdown in sake is not caused by enzymes from the malt, but rather from a special mold.
After fermentation, sake is naturally cloudy from bits of particulate left from the grains. Some sake, such as nigori, is allowed to remain clouded, but the majority is filtered so that it is clear like a spirit. Sake is best enjoyed while fresh, so unlike wine and more like beer, sake is rarely aged. Sake is fairly high in alcohol for a fermented drink, ranging from 14% to 16% alcohol – as compared to 8% to 14% for most wines, or 4% to 6% for most beers. When produced, sake usually contains around 20% alcohol.
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