Collection: On a cold day! Recommendations for warming sake

■What is kanzake?

Sake is a type of alcoholic beverage that can be enjoyed at a variety of temperatures, from cold to warm.
Among them, warmed sake is called kanzake, or warm sake.
Fujii Sake Brewery's sake generally tastes refreshing when chilled and has a crisp aftertaste.
When heated, it becomes mellow and full-bodied (though there are exceptions, of course).

To be more specific, hot sake is called different names depending on the temperature.
"Atsukan," which is synonymous with hot sake, refers to sake that is served at a temperature of around 50 degrees.
The commonly heard term "nurukan" is around 40 degrees. There is also "nurukan" (warm sake) at 35 degrees!
It's interesting how the expressions change depending on the temperature.

The appeal of hot sake

The appeal of hot sake is that it offers a delicious flavor that cannot be experienced with cold sake (at room temperature).
When cold, the sake has a crisp taste, but when warmed, the umami and sweetness become more apparent, and the taste becomes fuller.
Sake that tastes better when warmed is called "kanagari sake," and many of Fujii Sake Brewery's sakes are exactly that.

A common question that people often ask is, "Isn't the alcohol that's warmed cheap?"
Fujii Sake Brewery's sake is designed to be delicious when served warm.
As we will introduce later, there are also Junmai Daiginjo sakes that are even more enjoyable when warmed!

There are many other attractive features of hot sake.
●Warming effect on the body
Compared to other brewed alcoholic beverages, sake has the effect of warming the body.
The effect is even greater when served warm.
This may be one of the reasons why hot sake tastes so good in winter!

●Another charm of warm sake: "Kanzamashi"
Kanzamashi is sake that has been warmed and then cooled (chilled).
When you warm the sake, the bitterness and other unpleasant flavors evaporate, resulting in a more balanced sake than before it was heated.
If you cool the sake in this state, the taste will be free of impurities compared to when it was chilled before heating. However, this may result in a flat taste.
Sake that tastes good when warmed can be called truly delicious!

↑↑↑The most popular hot sake among our brewers and staff: "Ryusei Aged Junmai Omachi Special Junmai"↑↑↑

■Various types of hot sake

● Misunderstanding about hot sake?
Do you think that warm sake makes you drunk easily?
It's not that hot sake makes you drunk more easily, but rather that it is quickly absorbed and broken down, making you more likely to get drunk.

This is because when you drink cold sake, the alcohol is first warmed in your stomach to about body temperature.
A higher body temperature increases the body's metabolism and makes it easier for the body to absorb alcohol.
On the other hand, when drinking warm sake, it is warmed to body temperature from the moment you drink it, so it is easily absorbed and there is a short time lag before you feel drunk.
It feels like you can keep drinking cold sake forever, but sometimes you realize you're starting to feel dizzy.
Even if you drink the same amount of cold sake and hot sake, the amount of alcohol broken down is the same!

●Easy way to warm sake
The most common and recommended way to heat it is in a water bath.
The world of hot sake is quite deep, but today we'll introduce a simple and easy method that anyone can do!

First, prepare a tokkuri (sake bottle) and a sake cup, and let the sake return to room temperature.

1. Boil water in a pot until it is about halfway full of sake bottle. 2. Once the water boils, turn off the heat and warm the sake bottle itself first. 3. Once the sake bottle is warm, pour about 80-90% of the sake that has been brought back to room temperature into the bottle and wait about 2 minutes. 4. Done!

It depends on the shape and material of the sake bottle, but it should be roughly 40 to 45 degrees.
It's good to measure the temperature precisely, but I would like people to first experience the deliciousness of warm sake.

Here's a tip!
To enjoy hot sake even more, try drinking it at room temperature first before drinking the warmed sake.
You will be able to clearly see how much and how the taste has changed, and you will be able to feel the depth of sake.

You can also easily enjoy hot sake in the microwave, so please enjoy hot sake as well!

Why not try some warm sake this winter and expand your options for how to enjoy sake?

Recommended sake for warming is here☟