Written in Japan — for New York, London & Tokyo
The Sake
Anatomy
Sake: its science, its soul.
Japanese sake, decoded for the curious drinker.
We translate its science and its culture into plain English — no ceremony required.
New to sake? Start here.
Where to start.
If you’re new
Start from zero
Never had a proper glass.
If you love wine
Coming from wine
You know wine — not sake, yet.
If you’re buying
At the shop
Standing in front of the shelf.
100+
labels tasted a year
More than a hundred labels a year pass through the lab — each one tasted, then translated from brewing science into plain language.
Recently decoded
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Nada-Gogo GI: What Japan’s Five Sake Villages Actually Guarantee
The Nada-Gogo GI, designated in 2018, certifies water, rice and place rather than quality. What Japan’s five sake villages actually promise.
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GI Sake: What a Geographical Indication Actually Guarantees
A sake geographical indication certifies where and how a sake was made, not how good it is. What Japan’s 23 GI designations actually require.
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What does “gokkan” promise on a bottle of Kagatobi?
Kagatobi Gokkan Junmai Karakuchi, read label-first: what 極寒 claims about the ferment, and why SMV +4 only means something next to acidity 1.8.
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Kanpai: What Japanese Toasting Culture Really Means
Kanpai (乾杯) means “dry the cup”, yet nobody empties it. What the Japanese toast really signals, why nobody drinks first, and when to say kenpai.
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Is Sake Gluten Free? What the Ingredients Actually Are
Sake is brewed from rice, water, koji and yeast — no wheat, barley or rye. Here is what the law allows in the bottle, and the one ingredient to check.
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Aged Sake: What Koshu Is and What Happens in the Bottle
Koshu is sake a brewery aged on purpose. What the Maillard reaction does to its color and aroma, and how to tell maturation from a spoiled bottle.
Go deeper
Sake 101
What sake is, how it differs from wine and beer, and the four ingredients.
Explore →Understand the Label
Decode junmai, ginjo, daiginjo, seimaibuai and every term on a sake label.
Explore →How to Drink
Temperature, vessels, storage — how to get the most from every bottle.
Explore →Choose & Pair
Choosing your first bottle, what price means, and pairing beyond sushi.
Explore →The Science
The chemistry and biology behind sake, through a doctor’s lens.
Explore →Terroir & Stories
Regions, water, and the stories behind how each sake is made.
Explore →The Scene
Events, shops, bars, and the people of the sake world.
Explore →The lab, in 30 seconds.
Bite-sized sake science and culture — new reels every few days.
