Japanese sake is a versatile and unique beverage that offers a wide range of flavors and experiences. For food and beverage professionals, incorporating sake into their bar or restaurant can elevate the customer experience and offer something unique. This guide will explore how to serve and sell sake effectively, from highlighting regional characteristics to pairing sake with food and offering sake in various sizes and settings.

Selling Sake by Region

Japanese sake is a beverage deeply connected to the regions where it is brewed. Each area has unique characteristics and flavors influenced by the local climate, water, and brewing traditions. Showcasing these regional differences can make your sake offerings more engaging and memorable for your customers.

To highlight regional characteristics, you can start by displaying a map of Japan in your restaurant or bar. This visual aid helps customers understand where the sake is from and piques their interest in exploring different areas. Organizing your sake menu by region, either from north to south or grouped by larger areas like Tohoku, Kansai, Kanto, and Kyushu, is another effective way to showcase the regional diversity.

Including some interesting facts or stories about each region on your menu or in conversations with customers can make the experience even more engaging. For example, you can share that Niigata, a snowy and mountainous prefecture, has the most sake breweries and is known for "Tanreikarachi," a light and dry style of sake. Similarly, Kyushu, the southern island of Japan, is known for its warm climate and Shochu production, but has recently started producing high-quality, sweeter, and richer sake that pairs well with the local cuisine.

Highlighting regional specialties or limited edition sakes from specific areas can also draw attention to the unique characteristics of different regions. This approach not only educates your customers but also provides them with an interesting and varied drinking experience.

In summary, by focusing on the regional characteristics of Japanese sake, you can create a memorable and educational experience for your customers. The regional approach to selling sake helps showcase the diversity of sake flavors across Japan and encourages customers to explore and appreciate the unique qualities of each area.

Selling Sake by Flavor Profile

Japanese sake comes in a variety of flavors, making it an exciting beverage to explore. One effective way to sell sake is by categorizing it based on its flavor profile. This helps customers understand the different tastes and find a sake they enjoy.

Rich vs. Light & Sweet vs. Dry
To categorize sake by flavor, a common method is to use two axes: richness (rich vs. light) and sweetness (sweet vs. dry). This creates four categories:

• Light and Sweet: These sakes are delicate and refreshing.
• Light and Dry: These sakes are clean and crisp.
• Rich and Sweet: These sakes are full-bodied and sweet.
• Rich and Dry: These sakes are robust and dry.

This simple categorization helps beginners understand the basic flavor profiles of sake, making it easier for them to choose a drink they like.

Sake Categories by SSI
Another useful classification, proposed by the Sake Service Institute (SSI), categorizes sake based on aroma and taste:

• Jukushu (熟酒): These sakes have a rich aroma and taste, often including aged or matured sake.
• Junshu (醇酒): These sakes have a light aroma but a rich taste, often including Junmai sake and sakes made using the Kimoto or Yamahai methods.
• Kunshu (薫酒): These sakes are aromatic but light in taste, often including Daiginjo and Ginjo sake.
• Soushu (爽酒): These sakes are light in aroma and taste, often including Futsushu, Honjozo, and some Namazake.

Organizing your sake menu using one of these flavor profile methods helps customers choose the right sake for their taste. Providing simple descriptions of each flavor profile also helps guide customers in their selections.

Selling Sake with a Course

Start with a Sparkling Sake
To kick off the course, start with a refreshing and bubbly sake. Sparkling sake is light and effervescent, making it an ideal starter to awaken the palate. An example of a sparkling sake to serve could be Tenzan. This choice sets a festive and refreshing tone for the meal, much like a champagne would at the start of a Western dining experience.

Serve a Light Sake with Starters
For the next course, serve a light and fresh sake with salads or light appetizers. These sakes cleanse the palate and complement lighter dishes. Spring or fresh sake pairs well with green salads or vegetable-based starters, enhancing the flavors without overpowering them.

Offer a Rich Sake with Main Courses
As the meal progresses to the main course, offer a richer sake to pair with meat or flavorful main dishes. Rich sakes have a fuller body and can stand up to heartier dishes. For example, serving a nice Daiginjo with a Western-style fish dish or a heavier sake with rich meat dishes allows the sake to enhance the flavors of the food.

Finish with a Sweet Dessert Sake
To end the course, offer a sweet dessert-like sake. These sakes provide a pleasant and indulgent conclusion to the meal. A good choice is Kijoshu or an aged sake with nutty and grainy notes, serving as a digestif. The sweetness of these sakes complements dessert or can be enjoyed on their own as a delightful end to the meal.

Alternating Sake and Wine
For a unique pairing experience, you can alternate between sake and wine throughout the course. This approach provides variety and showcases the strengths of each beverage. For example, you might serve a sparkling sake, followed by a light white wine, then a rich sake, and finally a sweet dessert wine. This alternating pattern caters to diverse tastes and highlights the complementary nature of sake and wine.

Customizing the Course
To enhance the dining experience, tailor the course to suit different preferences and occasions. Adjust the selection of sakes and wines based on the dishes and customer preferences, offering options for both sake enthusiasts and wine lovers. Customizing the course in this way ensures that the dining experience is enjoyable and memorable for all guests.

Offering a sake course provides a unique and memorable dining experience, allowing customers to explore a variety of flavors and discover their preferences. This approach enhances the dining experience, increases customer engagement, and encourages exploration of sake varieties. By incorporating sake into a dining course, you can create a unique and enjoyable experience for your customers, showcasing the versatility of sake and creating a memorable meal for your guests.

Selling Sake by Size

Japanese sake comes in a variety of bottle sizes and can be served in different portion sizes to suit various occasions and customer preferences. Understanding how to sell sake by size can help you cater to different groups and enhance the customer experience.

Serving sake by the glass is ideal for individual customers or for those who want to try multiple types of sake without committing to a full bottle. The typical portion size for a glass of sake is around 60-90 ml (2-3 oz). This portion size allows customers to sample different sakes, and it's great for pairing with specific dishes.

For groups or when serving hot sake, consider serving sake in "Ichi-go" portions. An "Ichi-go" (一合) portion is 180 ml (6 oz), which is enough to share among a small group or to enjoy as a larger serving for one person. This size is also convenient for serving warm sake, as it's easy to heat a small amount at a time.

In some cultures, such as in Korea, China, or Hong Kong, selling sake by the bottle is more common. The standard bottle size for sake is 720 ml (24 oz), which is a good size for sharing among a few people. Larger 1.8 liter (60 oz) bottles are also available, which are more cost-effective for bars and can provide about 10 pours of 180 ml or 20 pours of 90 ml.

Sake comes in various bottle sizes, each suited for different occasions. The larger 1.8 liter (60 oz) bottles are great for bars or larger groups, while the 720 ml (24 oz) bottles are more suitable for smaller groups or individual customers who want to try several sakes. It's important to understand the different sizes and how they fit your customers' needs.

Offering sake flights is a great way for customers to sample different types of sake. A flight typically consists of small servings of several different sakes, allowing customers to explore a variety of flavors. This is a popular option for those new to sake or for those who want to try a range of different styles.

Customizing the serving sizes based on customer preferences and group sizes can enhance the dining experience. For example, offer smaller sizes for individual tastings and larger sizes for groups or those who want to enjoy a specific sake with a meal. Tailoring the sizes to suit the situation helps provide a better customer experience.

Designing Your Sake Menu Accordingly

Creating a well-balanced and appealing sake menu is essential for any bar or restaurant serving Japanese sake. A thoughtfully crafted menu can enhance the customer experience, encourage exploration, and cater to a wide range of tastes.

Balancing Your Sake Menu
A well-balanced sake menu should include a variety of flavors and types of sake to suit different preferences. It's important to cover all major flavor profiles, including light, rich, sweet, and dry, to offer something for every palate. This balance helps avoid one-sidedness and keeps the menu interesting for customers.

Including Seasonal Sake
Adding seasonal sake to your menu is a great way to keep it fresh and exciting. Many breweries produce special sakes for different times of the year, reflecting the changing seasons in Japan. Including these offerings not only adds variety but also gives customers something to look forward to.

Adjusting for Your Audience
When designing your sake menu, consider your target audience. For example, if you primarily serve younger customers or sake beginners, you might want to focus on fruity, easy-to-drink sakes that are also cost-effective. Avoid overly rich or aged sakes that might be challenging for newcomers. For more experienced sake drinkers, you can include more complex and aged sakes that cater to their tastes.

Highlighting Sake
Highlighting certain sakes on your menu is an effective way to guide customers towards special or recommended selections. You can use descriptions, stars, or other markers to draw attention to featured sakes. Additionally, offering tasting sets or flights can be a great way to showcase a variety of sakes and introduce customers to different types.

Keeping the Menu Simple
While it's important to provide information about the sakes, try to keep the menu simple and avoid overwhelming customers with technical terms. Focus on the taste and food pairing options for each sake. Including basic information like the product name, brand, and simplified specifications is sufficient for most customers.

Providing Tasting Notes
Including simple tasting notes for each sake on the menu helps customers understand what to expect. Descriptions like "fruity", "floral", "nutty", “lactic” or "rich” can guide customers in their choices. You can also include serving recommendations, like whether a sake is best enjoyed cold or warm.‍

Changing the Menu Frequently
To keep your sake menu fresh and interesting, change it frequently. Rotate the sakes you offer, especially if you have access to limited or seasonal sake. This keeps customers coming back to see what's new and allows you to introduce them to different flavors and styles.

By designing a sake menu that balances variety, caters to your audience, and highlights key offerings, you can create an engaging and enjoyable experience for your customers. This approach encourages exploration and helps showcase the diversity and depth of Japanese sake.

Serving Sake in a Restaurant

How to Serve Sake in a Restaurant

For most cold sake, we recommend using wine glasses, with white wine glasses being the best choice. If you have rich sake, you might prefer serving it warm. For warm sake, it's best to use flat, wide-mouthed sake cups called "Hirahai". Pair these with a beautiful "Tokkuri" pouring vessel for the right ceremonial effect.

If you want to keep it casual, consider assembling a collection of different cute sake cups and offering customers the chance to pick a cup they like from the collection. This can provide them with a memorable experience in your restaurant or bar.

For sake tasting flights, we recommend using the same sake vessel for each sample and placing them on a sake coaster with numbering or a short description to help your guests navigate through the tasting set.

How Sake is Served in Japan

In Japan, sake is most commonly served cold, especially in good sake restaurants and bars. However, these establishments typically offer a few hot sake options as well. Sake is often enjoyed with Japanese food, and many people drink it when eating sushi, sashimi, or other fish dishes. It's also popular at izakaya-style restaurants, which are casual places that serve a variety of small dishes and drinks.

• Cold Sake: Cold sake in Japan is usually served in different types of glasses, ranging from small shot glasses to wine glasses.
• Hot Sake: Hot sake, on the other hand, is served in ceramic sake cups, often accompanied by a heated "Tokkuri" sake pouring vessel.

How to Upsell Sake

Upselling sake can enhance the customer experience and increase sales. Here are some effective strategies to consider:

Food-Sake Pairings
Offer interesting food-sake pairings that encourage customers to order both. For example, you can pair rich sake with hearty dishes or light sake with delicate dishes.

Sake Comparison Sets
Provide sake comparison sets, such as pasteurized vs. unpasteurized sake, or two different rice variants from the same brewery. You could also offer sets with different aged sake vintages, allowing customers to explore and compare.

Sake Tasting Flights
Create approachable sake tasting flights that showcase different flavors. For example, you can include one sake from each category (light-sweet, light-dry, rich-sweet, and rich-dry) or offer a selection like fruity, grainy, and milky/lactic sake. Including a cloudy sake for interesting texture and mouthfeel can be engaging for customers.

Dessert Pairings
Have a nice vanilla ice cream ready at the end of the meal and suggest pairing it with a really sweet and thick kijoshu or a boldly aged sake. This creates a unique and indulgent dessert experience.

Creating Sake-Related Food Items
Create sake-related food items for an authentic menu and a good story. For example:

• Make a creamy cheese risotto with sake rice like Yamadanishiki or Gohyakumangoku.
• Use sake lees (the sake rice leftover particles after sake pressing) for marinating.
• For dessert, make sake ice cream using a fruity Daiginjo to create a delicious and refreshing treat that pairs well with sweet sake like Kijoshu.

By using these strategies, you can make the sake experience in your restaurant or bar more engaging and enjoyable for your customers, encouraging them to try different varieties and enhancing their overall dining experience.

Conclusion

Selling sake in your bar or restaurant can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience, both for you and your customers. By highlighting the regional characteristics of Japanese sake, you can create a memorable and educational experience for your guests. Organizing sake by flavor profile or food pairing offers customers an easy way to navigate their options and discover their preferences. Additionally, offering sake as part of a dining course enhances the experience, allowing guests to explore a variety of flavors while enjoying a cohesive meal.

Selling sake by size provides flexibility for different occasions, while a well-designed sake menu ensures a balanced and inviting selection. Thoughtful serving practices, like using the right glasses or offering sake flights, can further enhance the customer experience. By incorporating these strategies and focusing on creating an engaging and enjoyable atmosphere, you can successfully introduce your customers to the diverse and delightful world of Japanese sake, making your bar or restaurant a memorable destination for sake enthusiasts, wine drinkers and newcomers alike.