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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How to Taste Sake: What the Blue Circles Are For
Look, smell, sip, breathe out, wait. How professionals taste sake, and what the blue rings on the janome cup are really for.
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Arabashiri, Nakadori, Seme: What the Three Parts of One Press Mean
Arabashiri, nakadori and seme name the first, middle and last sake out of one press. Here is what each word means and why none is a grade.
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The Four Types of Sake: A Better Way to Choose Than the Label
Sake sorts into four flavor types: kunshu, soshu, junshu and jukushu. A plain-English guide to what each means and how to choose by taste, not label.
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How to Store Sake at Home Without Ruining It
Store unopened sake cool and dark, keep nama and ginjo in the fridge, and finish an opened bottle within a month. Here is what light and heat do.
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How to Read a Japanese Sake Label, Block by Block
A sake label has a short legal core: ingredients, alcohol, volume and maker. Here is what each block means and which parts are only optional.
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Sake Calories and What Is Actually in the Glass
Sake carries more calories per 100ml than wine, but real serving sizes narrow the gap. Here’s what the official data says and why.
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.
