How to serve sake: hot or cold?
If you are new to the world of sake, there are a ton of questions you may have – the different types of sake, how to interpret descriptions on a restaurant menu, potential food pairings, how to read a sake label at the supermarket. But I thought we’d cover the most common question that sake beginners ask. Serve sake hot or cold?
Should sake be served hot or cold?
The warm/cold decision can actually be a fairly complex analysis based on type of sake and the flavor profile. For now, let’s start with a nice, simple rule of thumb. You are going to want to drink your cheaper sake hot, and your quality sake cold.
Most of us are familiar with hot sake in its most common form – at the sushi restaurant, served in a plain white carafe, and usually piping hot. Drinking this type of “house” sake warm is a must. It is generally of lower quality, sometimes derisively described as “jet fuel” by more refined sake snobs palates. And the warming process is necessary to take the sharp edge off and give the sake a mellow flavor. Warming sake is the traditional serving method. In the past, sake brewing and storing methods were not as refined as they are now. And warming up the sake hid some of the harsher flavors.
Quality sake, especially over the last few decades, tends have much more elegant and subtle flavors carefully curated by the brewers, and heating will potentially destroy those flavors. These sake brands won’t have the harsher flavors that need masked by heating, and should be very aromatic on their own, and have a nice, clean taste. There are, of course, certain types of quality sake that are designed to be served warm.
Right temperature to serve sake
One more caveat on the subject of hot vs. cold: not too hot, and not too cold! You don’t want to heat that sake carafe in your microwave until it’s boiling over, and you don’t want to store that fine sake bottle next to your Jagermeister in the freezer. Target temperatures are:
- Not below 41 F for cold sake
- Not above 104 F for warm sake
Related article: The best way to heat Japanese sake
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