A New Way To Drink Sake

In Japan there are a thousand and one ways to buy and drink sake. From the huge barrels you find outside Shinto shrines and at weddings or company promotional events, to the standard 1.8l or 750ml bottles, to the one-cup glasses or box cartons from vending machines.

Recently in Family Mart convenience stores a new way to drink sake has appeared, or as they say on the side in remarkably good English for a Japanese company

With this product we bring you a new way to enjoy sake.

“This product” is a small, 200ml,screw-cap metallic bottle that you usually find containing coffee.

There are four in this range ranging from your standard sake
(Kire no Aru cho Karaguchi Seishu from Takara Shuzo, the black can) at ￥265 up to the slightly more expensive (Sukkirishita Ajiwa Daiginjo from Nihonsakari, the blue can) at ￥365.

The sakes come from 4 different breweries (Nihonsakari, Takara Shuzo, Hakutsuru and Gekkeikan) and all have bizarrely long, descriptive names (for sake).
Hakana Yakana Kaori for example means “Cheerful Fragrance“.

I found the Kire No Aru Cho Karaguchi Seishu (Sharp and Very Dry Nihonsu) and
Yutakana koku Yamada Nishiki Tokubetsu Junmaishu (Rich Bodied Tokubetsu Junmaishu made from Yamada Nishiki Rice) to be excellent and worth buying.

I actually prefer these bottles to the glass one cup sakes as they have a lip at the top of the glass that helps keep the lid on, but I find it tends to make drinking without spilling harder, especially when drinking and walking – although this is something Japanese people generally don’t do.

You often see people buy a bottle or can from a vending machine, stand next to it while drinking and then throw the empty container away in the recycle bin next to the machine.

I’ve also seen recently a Premium Sake can range in the convenience store, which is more like a conventional one-cup can but priced at nearer ￥400.
Haven’t tried them yet but two are sitting in my fridge as we speak. I’ve tried them and the reviews are linked below.

The Sake Reviews:
Kire no Aru cho Karaguchi Seishu (キレのある超辛口清酒) – Black Can – 88pts
Hana Yakana Kaori Junmaishu (華やかなかおり純米酒) – Purple Can – 86pts
Yutakana koku Yamada Nishiki Tokubetsu Junmaishu (豊かなコク山田錦特別純米酒) – Green Can – 90pts
Sukkirishita Ajiwai Daiginjo (すっきりした味わい大吟醸) – Blue Can – 83pts

Premium Sake Cans:
Gekkeikan Premium Junmai Daiginjo (Red Can) – 80pts
Gekkeikan Premium Daiginjo (Blue Can) – 85pts

Related posts on MoIppai

• Sake Club for May
• Joining a Monthly Sake Club
• Sake Club for June
• Japanese sake and table salt