FAQ

• Q. How should I store sake?

  Sake is very sensitive to temperature and light. In order to preserve the quality, please store sake in a cool and dark place. After opening, please store in the refrigerator and consume as soon as possible. Even if the color of the sake changes, you can use it for cooking.

• Q. How to enjoy sake?

  Sake can be enjoyed three ways: cold, room temperature, and warm. To discover the best way to enjoy each sake product, please refer to its individual product page.

• Q. What is the Sake Meter Value (SMV)?

  The sake meter is a scale used to describe the sweetness or dryness of sake. The higher the sake meter value (SMV) number, the drier the sake; the lower the SMV, the sweeter the sake. An SMV of between 0 and 2 is generally considered to be balanced.

• Q. What is the difference between regular sake and namazake/nama sake?

  During the production of regular sake, there are generally two pasteurization steps: one after it's pressed, and another just before the bottling process. Namazake/nama sake, however, follows a different process. It skips pasteurization and instead undergoes ultra-micro-filtration before bottling. This unique process gives nama sake a fresh and fruity flavor.

• Q. Does Gekkeikan sake contain any preservatives?

  No, our sake does not contain any preservatives such as sulfites. Sake is a naturally fermented alcohol beverage made from rice, koji rice, and water, and sometimes distilled "brewer's" alcohol as a matter of category and style.

• Q. What is "koji"?

  Koji is one of the most important ingredients in producing sake. Specifically, "koji-kin" is a fungus called Aspergillus oryzae. This fungus or mold is cultivated on steamed rice, and converts the starch in the rice grains into sugar. The finished rice is known as "koji" or "rice koji". Without koji, yeast would not be able to convert sugar into alcohol, and sake would not exist!