Sake rewards curiosity more than expertise. A handful of terms is enough to find bottles you love and to talk with confidence about why.
Most of what you need to know sits on the label: how much the rice was polished, whether a little distilled alcohol was added, and the brewery's own house style.
Start with one bottle you like, and let it lead you to the next.
The styles worth knowing
Junmai is pure rice sake — full, savoury and food-friendly. Honjozo adds a small amount of distilled alcohol for a lighter, cleaner finish.
Ginjo and daiginjo are brewed from more highly polished rice, giving aromatic, refined profiles with notes of pear, melon and flowers. Nigori is cloudy and gently sweet; sparkling styles are bright and low in alcohol.
How to serve it
Aromatic ginjo and daiginjo are best lightly chilled, in a wine glass that lets the aromatics open. Richer junmai is lovely warmed, which rounds its edges.
Opened bottles keep for a few days refrigerated. Trust your own palate — there is no single correct way to enjoy a glass.