Sake, often called “rice wine,” is actually made through a process more similar to beer brewing than winemaking. Sake is brewed, not distilled. Typical sake has 15–16% ABV, slightly stronger than wine but not as strong as vodka or tequila.

RICE

While you will find fruity and floral flavors in Kato Sake Works’ craft sake, it is made of rice, a bland, starchy grain we eat every day (at least in Japan.) To make good sake, rice grain is milled to about half of its size, and unwanted compounds on the outer layer are removed. It’s an expensive process, but it’s essential for good sake. And, by the way, rice is 100% gluten-free.

WATER

80% of sake is made of water. The quality of water not only impacts the taste of sake, but also impacts how the rice is fermented. Hard water accelerates fermentation, resulting in rich, bold, dry sake. Soft water slows it down and makes clean, crisp, sweet sake. Our water comes from the beautiful Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York, a hundred miles north of NYC.

KOJI

Koji is a type of domesticated mold widely used in Asian culinary culture (Soy sauce and miso are also made using koji). Koji is cultured on steamed rice for 48 hours until rice grains become fluffy like brie cheese. Koji is to sake as malt is to beer. It breaks down the starches in the rice grain into sugar, which is then fermented by yeast to make alcohol.

YEAST

Yeast ferments sugar into alcohol. Most alcohol producers around the world have developed fermentation techniques, such as temperature control and additional nutrients, in order to provide the optimal environment for the yeast to work happily. That’s not the case for sake. We put them in frigid temperatures and feed them too little. Only the yeast that endures this harsh environment can produce a beautiful sake. It’s like the art of the Samurai.