Sake’s Lifesaving Overhaul

As Japan’s collective enthusiasm for Western cuisine has gained momentum over the years, such traditional staples as rice and fish have been increasingly pushed aside and the once-ubiquitous drink of choice, sake, has gathered a dusty image associated with the silver-haired set.

Younger generations instead are imbibing in their choice of craft beers, whiskey and wine, leaving the iconic nihonshu in a delicate spot domestically. Abroad, the beverage is experiencing something of a boom, as Japanese food explodes in popularity.

“Usually, people say that the overall demand of sake is decreasing because the main consumer is over 60 years old. Yes, it is true,” says Yoshihiko Yamamoto, president of the 300-year-old Yucho Shuzo sake brewery in Nara Prefecture. “Our main target is the younger generation, to make them new sake lovers for the future.”

To counter the domestic decline, Yucho and other producers are seeking to revitalize sake’s reputation in numerous ways, such as through pairings with Western food. Yamamoto (whose favorite combination is Yucho’s Kaze no Mori Akitsuho Junmai with mozzarella and tomatoes) will illustrate sake’s versatility this month during a unique dinner at CHOP Steakhouse.

Yucho is among the producers making zippier versions of sake—unfiltered, undiluted and unpasteurized—to draw more youthful, discerning palates. “Those things are very important for enjoying real, pure sake,” says Yamamoto, 33. “You can enjoy rich umami and sweetness, the gentle aroma and complex texture.”

Sake’s roots in Japanese culture unfurl as far back as 2,500 years ago, when the cultivation of rice became widespread in the archipelago. Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines started brewing the labor-intensive libation in the 12th to 15th centuries using techniques that are still commonplace.

Because sake requires a small number of ingredients—rice, water, yeast and koji, which is steamed rice that contains mold to convert rice starch into sugar to facilitate fermentation—quality is essential to a palatable final product. About 100 types of sake rice presently exist, and some brewers are working to revive heirloom varieties while others are developing novel types of rice to create new expressions of the beverage.

At its peak in the mid-1970s, an estimated 1.7 million kiloliters of sake was made annually by some 2,200 sake producers, according to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper. Nowadays, roughly half that amount is bottled each year.

Yamamoto estimates that there are 1,300 sake producers, with the top 20 of those accounting for about 60 percent of total production. While the heavyweights market their goods to conventional consumers, he notes, the smaller companies are still experimenting with new techniques and exploring possible niches in the market.

And if those producers can find a way to convince 20- and 30-somethings to raise a toast with a round of sake over french fries or edamame, then the future of the ancient drink might just be golden

Onuki is a Michigan-based freelance journalist.

Sake Dinner with Yoshihiko Yamamoto
Wednesday, August 26
7–10 p.m.
CHOP Steakhouse
¥11,000*
Sign up online or at Member Services
*Price excludes 8 percent consumption tax.

Words: Wendi Onuki