I ate the worm!

Probably the least-understood category of beverages in the store, sake is slowly gaining popularity among adventurous consumers. Lukas has the BEST selection of sake and Asian distilled spirits in the Midwest with 90 different products to choose from! Such a vast selection can be somewhat overwhelming - so here are some answers to the more common questions regarding sake:

Q: "Sake is a rice wine, right? What kind of wine does it taste like?"
A: Actually, sake is a beverage made from fermented rice, which is a grain. Therefore, it is more like a beer than a wine (because it isn't made from grapes or fruit). However, most sake isn't (naturally) carbonated, and the flavors present in sake are more similar to wine. Just like riesling wines, sake can be dry and minerally or fruity, floral and even sweet.

Q: Shouldn't all sake be served Hot?
A: You can enjoy your sake however you like, but in general the best sakes taste best slightly chilled. Quite simply, warming works well with richer, earthier, less fruity sakes, and sake with these characteristics tend to be less expensive. Chilling brings our the best in most good sake, with subtle differences presenting themselves at each temperature range.

Q: Is sake sweet or dry?
A: Yes. It can be both, but whether it is sweet or dry it shouldn't be cloyingly sweet or gratingly harsh. The beauty of a well-made sake is in its simplicity and balance.

Q: Why does polishing percent mean?
A: That refers to the "Seimaibuai" (say-my-boo-aye) or the degree of milling the rice underwent during production. There are 6 main types of sake. Each requires different brewing methods and a different percentage of rice milling, (the amount of the outside of the rice grain that was removed). The best stuff for the yeast cells to eat is on the inside of the rice grain, but milling more of the outside away creates a lower yield.
Before we get down to all of the confusing percentages, remember that seimaibuai is not the only criteria for a quality sake.
Here we go...

Different Types of Sake

Top left: Unmilled rice
Top right: 70% remaining
Center: 35% remaining

Q: What is koji?
A: Koji is a mold that is used as an ingredient in sake production.Koji behaves the same way as malting does to the cereal grains used in beer or whiskey production, but since all but the starch has been milled away from the rice grain, there are no enzymes left to break the rice down. Koji starts breaking down the rice so the yeast cells have something they can eat!

This is koji This is Shoji

Q: One last thing... Why do some sakes have milky-looking stuff at the bottom of the bottle? Has that sake gone bad?
A: Not at all! That's what is called a nigori or unfiltered sake, and it's perfectly fine to drink! Remember to shake well before serving, though. These sakes generally have a richer mouthfeel than other sakes, similar to coconut milk.