Sake, Simplified

Not rice wine, not beer and naturally gluten free, sake is its own distinction of alcohol—and definitely worth paying attention to. However, since many people seem to find it mysterious (and maybe even intimidating), I hit up Cecile Roslin—a certified sake specialist at Ki Modern Japanese in downtown Toronto (she also brews the stuff at the Ontario Spring Water Sake Company)—for the lowdown on this trendy Japanese elixir.

First off, sake is much easier to manoeuvre than wine because regionality plays a much smaller role (throw out that map of French appellations!). Since the terminology is universal, Cecile’s advice is to start with a few important key terms: Junmai and Ginjo. Junmai means “pure rice.” If you do not see Junmai on a bottle, it means that something has been added to the tank—usually brewer’s alcohol. This does not indicate quality; it is simply a brewing style! Ginjo is a grade of sake that is very popular for craft breweries and, according to Cecile, is the sweet spot for fruit and acidity. Ginjo indicates a minimum of 40 per cent of each rice grain has been polished away before brewing, setting the stage for sake that is bright and fruity with flavours of green melon or bubble gum. A step up from that is Daiginjo, where at least 50 per cent of the rice is polished away (increasing delicacy).

Now for the drinking (a.k.a. the best part): good-quality sake can be served warm or chilled, and it isn’t just an accompaniment to Japanese food. In fact, Cecile argues sake is actually more food friendly than wine based on its enzymatic makeup. It is naturally vegan and gluten free, and has no added sulphites or sugar. It is sustainable, non-pretentious and financially accessible, as a great bottle should cost less than $50. Oh, and of course, it is absolutely delicious. See below for Cecile’s sake suggestions, and kampai! —Laura Starr

Kikusui "Fountain of Youth" Junmai Ginjo. Smooth and round on the palate with a classic melon and banana profile.

Tenzan "Shichida" Junmai. Fruity bubble-gum aromatics followed by subtle autumn-esque apples and pears on the palate.

Osake Fraser Valley Junmai – Renaissance. If you’re lucky enough to find a bottle of this made-in-B.C. Alberta Beverage Awards winner, grab it—only a limited batch of this "farm to glass" sake, featuring an unprecedented level of acidity, was made for the 2016 fall offering.