A Beginner’s Guide:

Japan’s drinking culture goes well beyond the umeshu and lemon sours popular at izakaya, and two categories in particular, sake and Japanese whisky, are worth understanding if you want to drink like more than a casual tourist. This guide covers the basics of both, so you can order (or shop for a bottle to take home) with a bit more confidence.

Sake Basics: More Varied Than You Might Expect

Sake (also called nihonshu in Japanese, since “sake” broadly means alcohol in Japanese) is a fermented rice-based alcohol, but the category covers a surprisingly wide range of styles, strengths, and flavor profiles.

Junmai: made purely from rice, water, yeast, and koji (a fermentation starter), without added distilled alcohol, generally offering a fuller, rice-forward flavor.
Honjozo: similar to junmai but with a small amount of added distilled alcohol, typically resulting in a lighter, smoother taste.
Ginjo and Daiginjo: premium categories defined by how much the rice has been polished (milled down) before brewing, generally producing a lighter, more fragrant, and more refined sake, with daiginjo representing the most polished and typically most expensive tier.
Nigori: a cloudy, unfiltered sake with a thicker texture and sweeter taste, generally more approachable for those new to sake.

How Sake Is Typically Served

Temperature varies by style and personal preference: sake can be served chilled, at room temperature, or warmed (atsukan), with premium ginjo and daiginjo styles generally served chilled to preserve their delicate aroma, while more robust styles are often enjoyed warmed, particularly in colder months.
Serving vessels include small ceramic cups (choko or sakazuki) and flasks (tokkuri), often used in traditional settings, though casual izakaya frequently serve sake in a simple glass as well.
Sake pairs well with a wide range of Japanese food, and many izakaya and specialty sake bars offer flights or small tasting sets if you want to compare a few styles in one sitting.

Japanese Whisky: A Relatively Recent but Highly Regarded Category

Japanese whisky has only existed for around a century, considerably younger than Scotch, but it’s earned an internationally strong reputation, with several Japanese labels winning major international awards over the past couple of decades.

Suntory operates some of the most well-known distilleries, including Yamazaki (Japan’s first whisky distillery) and Hakushu, both producing widely available and well-regarded single malts.
Nikka, founded by a distiller who trained in Scotland before returning to Japan, produces labels like Yoichi and Miyagikyo, known for a slightly different, often smokier or more robust character compared to Suntory’s offerings.
Highballs (whisky mixed with soda water) are the most common and casual way Japanese whisky is consumed at izakaya and bars, generally considered a lighter, more food-friendly serving style than drinking whisky neat.

Where to Try Both

Izakaya and casual bars are the easiest, lowest-pressure places to try either category, often with a range of options by the glass.
Dedicated sake bars offer curated tasting flights and knowledgeable staff who can guide you based on your preferences, particularly useful if you’re new to sake and want some direction.
Whisky bars, particularly in larger cities, often stock an extensive range of Japanese and international whiskies, and staff are generally happy to make recommendations if you describe what flavors you enjoy.
Distillery tours (Yamazaki and Hakushu, for example) offer a deeper look into the production process, often including tastings, though advance booking is generally required given limited daily capacity.

Buying a Bottle to Take Home

Popular Japanese whisky labels, particularly well-known Suntory and Nikka expressions, have become genuinely difficult to find at reasonable prices internationally due to strong global demand, making duty-free shops and specialty liquor stores in Japan a good opportunity to pick up a bottle, particularly limited or regional releases not widely exported. Sake is generally easier to find abroad, but regional and smaller-production labels found only in Japan can make for a distinctive souvenir as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sake stronger than wine or beer?

Generally yes, sake typically runs around 15 to 17% alcohol by volume, noticeably stronger than most wine and considerably stronger than beer, so it’s worth pacing yourself accordingly.

What’s the difference between drinking sake warmed versus chilled?

It largely comes down to style and personal preference. Warming can soften a more robust, less refined sake, while premium ginjo and daiginjo styles are generally served chilled to preserve their delicate aroma and flavor, which warming can mute.

Is Japanese whisky similar to Scotch?

It shares production techniques originally learned from Scotland, but many Japanese whiskies have developed a distinct character over time, and comparing rather than assuming direct equivalence is a reasonable approach for newcomers.

Do I need to know a lot about sake or whisky to enjoy trying them?

Not at all. Staff at dedicated sake and whisky bars are generally happy to guide beginners, and describing what flavors you generally enjoy (light and fragrant versus bold and rich, for example) is enough to get a helpful recommendation.

Next Steps

If you’re new to either category, start with a tasting flight at a dedicated sake or whisky bar rather than committing to a full bottle or glass of something unfamiliar, and consider picking up a bottle of a well-regarded Japanese whisky or a regional sake to bring home, since both can be considerably harder to find internationally than you might expect.

This post is part of an ongoing series on Japan travel planning. Check back for more guides on Japanese drinking culture and izakaya dining.

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Sake and Japanese Whisky