Japanese Alcohol: A Complete Guide

Drinking is an important part in work and social culture because it helps break down the firm appearance's that come as a product of this culture. Japanese drinking habits are a little different then they are in the west. Before you take a tipple with the locals, you need to know some social customs. Japanese people see drinking as a way to share togetherness and honesty. In fact, drinking with colleagues (Nomikai) in Japan is important for your work relationships and career progression!

Drinking parties typically held at Restaurants and Izakaya, are both common activity that are used to strengthen both social and business ties. A large variety of beverages can be found in Japan. 

You already know Japan offers plenty of options when it comes to Alcoholic beverages , ranging from Canned Beer and Cocktails to Craft Gin and Whiskey. Of course Japan has its own traditional such as Sake, Awamori and Umeshu (Plum wine). 

 

JAPANESE DRINKING ETIQUETTE:

The most basic rule of drinking etiquette in Japan is to never drink alone. Always wait for the whole group to receive their drink before touching yours. Then wait for someone to offer a Kenpai! before you raise your glass and take first drink. 

When drinking alcoholic beverages, it is customary to serve one another rather than serving yourself. You should periodically check your friends glasses and replenish them before they are empty. Likewise, if someone wants to serve you, you should drink to make room in your glass if it is full, hold it up for the person while they pour and then one sip before putting the glass down.

To broaden your horizons even more, I am going introduce you all to the Japanese Alcohols made from Japanese ingredients to diversify your home bar. 

SAKE:

Sake is an alcoholic drink made from fermented rice. Often referred to as Nihonshu (日本酒) in Japanese (to differentiate from ''Sake'' which in Japanese can also refer to Alcohol) the drink enjoys the widespread popularity and is served in all types of restaurants and drinking establishments. And as interest in Japanese cuisine has grown internationally, Sake has started to become a trendy and recognizable drink around the world. 

The foundations of a good Sake are quality rice, clean water, koji mold and yeast. They are combined and Fermented in a precise processes that have been refined over the centuries. Typically filtered (although unfiltered products are also available), the resulting clear slightly yellowish rice wines have an alcohol content of 15% and relatively mild flavor profiles, ranging from light and crisp to richer, more substantial , fruity notes. Sake pairs well with almost any kind of food but compliments the delicate flavor of traditional Japanese meals particularly well.

In recent decades, premium Sake has been gaining popularity, while cheap Sake has gradually lost market share to other types  of alcoholic drinks. 

SPECIAL TYPES OF SAKE:

By omitting or adding certain steps to the Sake production process, some special types of Sake can be obtained or produced:

• Namazake (Raw Sake) (生鮭)

Most sake is pasteurized towards the end of the production process. However, in case of Namazake, the pasteurization step is skipped. The resulting drink has a fresh flavor and must be refrigerated and consumed quickly. 

• Nigorizake (Cloudy Sake) (にごり酒)

Most Sake is filtered towards the end of the production process to produce a perfectly clear drink. Nigorizake, however, is only coarsely filtered, resulting a cloudy Sake that contains some of the rice solids left over from fermentation. The taste of Nigorizake ranges from very Sweet to Tart.

• Sparkling Sake

In recent years, more and more Sake brewers have added a Sparkling Sake to their product line-up. Similar to Sparkling Wine, Sparkling Sake is bottled before fermentation process has fully ended, resulting in the creation of bubbles. 

• Koshu (Old Sake) (古酒)

 Most Sake is usually consumed within few months of production. However, there is a class of Sake, called Koshu, that has been aged in bottles or barrels for longer periods to develop new flavors profiles. Depending on how the Sake was aged, the resulting Koshu often has stronger, earthy or woody tones and a darker, honey color. 

• Jizake (Local Sake)

Jizake is a type of Sake typically refers to products sold all over the country and Sake produced elsewhere than anywhere than the primary Sake-producing regions of Nada, Hyogo Prefecture, and Fushimi, Kyoto Prefecture. Jizake refers to sake produced by an artisanal producer or microbrewery and manufactured using local ingredients by breweries in each region and enjoyed primarily in that area. 

JAPANESE WHISKEYS: 

Whiskey (ウィスキー) was introduced to Japan after the end of Feudal Era in the Meiji Period (1868-1912), and the commercial production of domestic whiskey started in the 1920's. Japanese whiskies are similar to Scottish whiskies, because the Japanese whiskey pioneer's learnt their trade from the Scottish whiskey malt masters. Despite their comparable short history, Japanese whiskies are now on par with some of the finest Scotch Whiskies and have won top international awards. 

Torii Shinjiro and Takestsuru Masataka are considered as the founding fathers of Japanese whiskey - Torii founded the Suntory Company, while Taketsuru founded the Nikki Company - and their early histories are interwind. 

Taketsuru was the malt master who had studied Whiskey making in Scotland before working for Torii in Yamazaki and later starting his own company in Yoichi. 

 

BEER IN JAPAN: 

Beer (ビール) is most popular alcoholic drink in Japan and Widely consumed at home and drinking establishment's nationwide. Four companies currently dominate the market: Asahi, Kirin, Suntory and Sapporo. The standard type of beer sold at Izakaya, Bars and restaurants are light large beer's with alcohol content of around 5%. In addition, regional craft beer's have become popular in recent years. 

(Izakaya Alley in Tokyo)

HISTORY OF BEER IN JAPAN:

The Dutch started brewing beer for their own use in Nagasaki during the Edo Period. The first brewery to sever the Japanese market was founded in 1869 in the international port town of Yokohama by a foreigner businessman. After changes of the ownership, it started producing Kirin-branded beer in 1888. Meanwhile in Sapporo, the government build a beer brewery and established the Sapporo Beer brand in 1876 as part of its efforts to develop to island Hokkaido. Accordingly, Yokohama and Sapporo vie for the title of birthplace of Japanese beer. 

The popularity of beer increased sharply in the second half of the 20th century and beer has long since overtaken Sake the nation's favorite tipple. In recent decades, some Japanese Beers have also gained popularity overseas. 

CRAFT BEER: 

The Craft Beer (地ビール, ji-bīru, literally "local beer") scene emerged in the mid 1990's. Up until then, stringent brewing laws granted licenses only to large-scale brewers. This all changed in 1994 when the government drastically relaxed the law, enabling small-scale breweries to thrive. Since then, craft beers has become increasingly popular, with hundreds of microbreweries around the country now swelling regional beer domestically and abroad. 

There is a particularly vibrant craft beer scene in the big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, where various dedicated bars sell beer from a particular brewery they are linked to, if not from a selection of breweries. There are also an increasing number of Brewpubs that brew and sell their own craft beer on premises. Many Onsan towns also contribute to the National craft beer presence with celebrated local breweries that take advantage of local pure waters.