When it comes to drinking sake, it’s natural to be curious about temperature.

• Should my sake be drunk warm? How hot should it be?

• Should the temperature be different depending on the type of sake?

• Will I get laughed at if I put ice in my sake?

We’re here to help answer these questions and find out how temperature can bring a new dimension to this beautiful beverage (and hopefully bust a few myths along the way).

Before we go any further, the most important thing to remember is that there are always exceptions to the sake rules, which means there is rarely a right or wrong answer to these questions. At London Sake we encourage you to experiment and have some fun trying out different temperatures in your own way. Don’t over-think it. Why not start by simply letting your next chilled sake warm up to room temperature throughout a meal and see how the flavour develops? Easy.

Sake is always served warm though, right? One common myth is that sake is always (or best) served warm, but that’s certainly not the case. Many sake are excellent and even preferable when chilled or served at room temperature.

Context is key

The way you decide to serve your sake depends on a few different factors. One often overlooked consideration is simply the context in which you are drinking. Take a moment to think about the environment, the occasion, the food, the people and select a sake and serving style that fits the bill.

For example, a hot sake can be magical in a cold climate or during the chilly autumn and winter months. It also works great as an alternative for mulled wine or cider during the holiday season!

Is it 100 degrees outside? Maybe a chilled fragrant ginjo or refreshing sake cocktail over ice is what you need. Planning a big dinner party? Why not pick a sake that opens up as it reaches room temperature to pair perfectly with your meaty main course?

The wonderful world of kanzake

One of the most unique qualities of sake is the beauty and flavour that can be revealed upon warming. The tradition of warming sake, referred to as kanzake in Japan, goes back at least to 900 AD, when sake was heated up with a bronze pot over a fire. And for good reason too; warming sake opens up its aromas, reduces bitter and off flavours and brings a rich, savoury umami-laden sweetness to the taste that can be deliciously comforting.

When to WARM?

As already mentioned, the context in which you are serving and drinking will, to some degree, help you decide if you should warm your sake or not. The other main consideration is the type of sake you have to hand, or choose to buy. By ‘type’, we mean the grade - determined by rice polishing ratio and addition (or not) of alcohol - and the brewing method used. For example, like whether the sake has been pasteurised, filtered, diluted or aged, These factors will give you a few clues as to whether the sake is a good candidate for warming.

One common misconception here is that the decision to warm sake or not is directly related to the grade of sake i.e. cheap ‘table’ sake is heated, while the super-premium ‘good’ stuff is best enjoyed chilled. While this is can be a useful generalisation for newcomers (heating can mask some of the nastier flavours of low-grade sake) it could also be keeping the door closed to a world of tasty sake experiences.

For example, many Futsushu (table) sake can just as easily be served chilled, whereas premium sake such as honjozo and even ginjo can be enhanced when warmed appropriately. 

Types OF SAKE & TEMPERATURE

Sake is a broad category with many different styles that each respond slightly differently to the effects of warming or cooling. As with pairing sake and food there is no right and wrong way to do things, but there are some general rules of thumb sake drinkers often use to help guide them. These include:

• Unpasturised (Nama) sake should be kept refrigerated and served chilled (with the exception of aged namazake)

• Sparkling sake is usually best served chilled

• Super premium Ginjo and daiginjo grade sake is usually served chilled as the delicate, fruity notes may be lost at a higher temperature.

• BUT, when these ‘premium’ grades are warmed, they generally need heating less than more ‘robust’ sake with lower rice polishing

• Full-bodied sake that is high in umami and acidity tends to be a good candidate for warming

• Heating sake can bring out the umami, sweet and earthy notes, so richer styles such as kimoto, yamahai and koshu (aged) sake tend to work well warm or hot.

• Undiuted (Genshu) sake with it’s higher alcohol content works well when heated

• Dry sake can also be accentuated by heating (look for a high SMV sake)

As always, there are exception to these and we encourage you to find them by experimenting!

🔥 WARM SAKE RECOMMEDATIONS 🔥

Finding the right temperature

Another mistake commonly made is to heat all sake to the same super-hot temperature. This is linked to Myth #2 and both are in part due to the fact that historically, in restaurants outside of Japan (where most people experienced sake), the quality of sake was often poor and therefore served extra hot to disguise the poor taste.

Fortunately these days restaurants and bars have upped their game and sake consumers are better educated. This is a good thing because there’s so much nuance to explore and fun to be had by playing with warmed sake temperatures.

The common temperature scale adopted in Japan spans 5 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius, increasing in 5C increments. Each temperature bracket has it’s own descriptive label and helps to guide your heating technique.

We have laid out this scale for you below.

Time to get out your thermometer and let the experiments begin!

How to heat sake

Again there is no right and wrong ways to bring your sake up to the right temperature. Our advice is to choose a method that gives you good control over the heat but is also safe and practical.

Here are three common methods to get you started:

Bonus tips:

• Pick containers that will hold the temperature for longer so your newly warmed sake doesn’t lose it’s heat too quickly

• Don’t forget to warm your sake cup too. Pop it in the microwave or run it under warm water.