How sake is served

We wish we could say that sake experts agree how sake is served, but of course, this is never the case.

With premium sakes, many connoisseurs recommend drinking sake out of a glass, as this tends to avoid interfering with the complex and often subtle flavours and aromas.

But it’s also fun to drink sake out of a traditional set, which consists of a serving carafe called tokkuri and smaller personal cups called ochoko, usually made of ceramic or earthenware. Sake cups come in a variety of shapes.

The ochoko is sometimes placed inside a box, or masu. Normally the sake will be poured until it overflows into the masu.

However, nowadays, more and more restaurants prefer the glass wine cup as it allows people to observe the wine colour while enjoying the sake.

As always, the golden rule is not to take things too seriously and enjoy yourself!

Recently, wine glass company Riedel released its second sake glass collection specially for junmai, which has greater complexity in flavours and aromas – from dry to simple, to bright and fruity, to rich and earthy. With a cocktail glass-like wide rim, the junmai glass also features a diamond-shaped base that controls the flow of the sake to the palate and helps highlight the velvety texture.

Riedel first created a glass specially for daiginjo sakes in 1999. The egg-shaped glass with a cover rim was designed to highlight the fruity and floral aroma of the Japanese drink, while bringing sweetness, acidity and bitterness into balance at the same time.