Warming Winter Beverage: Hot Sake

Yes, we know that sake isn't usually meant to be served warm, but sometimes you have to bend the rules a bit - especially when snow got in your boots, your neighbor didn't shovel their side walk, and all you can think about are little sips of soothing sake with your fingers wrapped around the warm cup... Can you tell what kind of day we're having?!

We like to heat our sake up for a spare thirty seconds in the microwave. This is just enough to warm the cup and the sake, but not so hot that you can't taste any of the sake's flavors. Or so hot that we can't sip it right away!

After the first few sips, we can feel our muscles relaxing, our shoulders dropping from around our ears, and our insides starting to thaw. Just what the doctor ordered.

What about you - do you like warm sake?

(Image: Flickr member Lachlan Hardy licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (6)

Actually it is perfectly acceptable to serve certain types of Sake hot. It is a wonderful winter drink, and the Japanese know this, but you usually use a cheaper "house" sake when serving it warm, not the more expensive or elaborately flavored sakes. Warm or hot sake is referred to in general as "kanzake." Warmth increases the effect of the alcohol in sake, which is probably why most westerners who have enjoyed warm sake say that it "packs a punch." In actual fact, most sake has about 18 percent alcohol, similar to most wines. The flavor of the sake is increased by heating, as is its dryness. Because of this dryness, warm or hot sake is the perfect companion for plain foods such as sashimi (raw fish) or sushi. The dryness will also help to cut the oiliness of hot pot dishes made with fat or oil.

If you are planning to serve warm or hot sake, the best way to heat it is by placing your tokkuri (jar) of sake in water that has been heated until it almost boils. The amount of time spent heating varies depending on how warm you want it to be. Generally, warm sake should be about 104 degrees F, and a good visual cue to judge this is to look into the tokkuri at the sake. If bubbles swell up on the sides of the tokkuri but do not rise, the sake is warm ("nurukan"); if the bubbles do rise, the sake is hot ("joukan"). You can use a microwave to heat sake, but you run the risk of boiling it accidentally, which could spoil the flavor of the sake.

posted by CrazyMacGuy on January 29th 2009 at 10:36am
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Heh, I wasn't going to go into that much detail, but yeah, you can traditionally serve sake hot.

posted by Tiamat_the_Red on January 29th 2009 at 11:36am
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The first time I had sake it was warm, so I assumed that was how sake was supposed to be served.

Thanks to this post and to CrazyMacGuy for the extra details! It's freezing in Boston right now, and I'm going to beginning fantasizing about hot sake right now . . .

posted by tlk on January 29th 2009 at 12:05pm
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Thanks CMG! I need to pass that info on to my local sushi joint... I've burnt my mouth on their hot sake!

posted by greyrussian on January 29th 2009 at 12:10pm
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Thanks for the kind words everyone... :-D

And yes GR, if you are burning your mouth on your sake at the sushi joint... they are doing it wrong.

posted by CrazyMacGuy on January 29th 2009 at 1:38pm
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I also first had sake hot, and thought that was the default for years. First had cold (and really, really good) sake at the rehearsal dinner for my wedding. I do prefer the cold stuff because it tends to be the good stuff (just like you wouldn't use your finest red to make a sangria or mulled wine). But on a foul evening? Warm up some cheap stuff!

posted by cmcinnyc on January 29th 2009 at 3:07pm
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