01What exactly is sake? Is it a beer? A wine? A spirit? While it is easy to say what sake is not – it is definitely not a distilled spirit like vodka or gin – it is a bit harder to say exactly what sake is. like beer, sake is made from a starchy grain rather than a sugary fruit, and so the fermentation process for both beer and sake starts with the transformation of starch into sugar – a step not necessary when making wine. However, unlike beer, sake is never carbonated and certainly the wide range of flavors and fragrances found in fine sake (dryness, maturity, depth, etc.) is more akin to wine than to beer. In the end it is safe to say that sake is a unique fermented beverage that shares some of the best characteristics of both beer and wine. 02What is the alcohol content of sake? Most sake contains 14% to 16% alcohol, in contrast to 4% to 6% for beer and 8% to 14% for wine. Freshly-brewed sake naturally contains as much as 20% alcohol when it is pressed from the mash, but before bottling water is added to bring the alcohol level down to about 15%. 03How should the word "sake" be pronounced? In Japan, this word is pronounced "sah-kay." One could argue that this is the "correct" pronunciation, but of course if you are ordering sake in a country where the word is commonly pronounce "sakee," you may want to say it that way first and argue about phonetics after you have your drink in hand. 04Is sake meant to be drunk with food, or alone? The short answer is: yes to both! Good sake goes very well with food, especially light dishes, such as fish, chicken, pasta, and so on. Of course, premium ginjo and super premium daiginjo sake are wonderful sipped chilled any time, and a warm cup of standard sake does well on its own to take the chill out of a winter afternoon. 05Does sake improve with age, like wine? No. Although there are a few special varieties of sake that are "aged" before bottling to produce a darker, more mature flavor, all sake should be drunk as soon after purchase as possible, and within a year of purchase at the very longest. A bottle of sake should be consumed within a day or two of being opened. 06How should sake be stored? Sake that has been pasteurized should be kept in a cool, dark place until opening, then refrigerated thereafter. Fresh sake, called "namazake" in Japanese and often referred to as "draft" sake in English, is not pasteurized and should always be refrigerated. 07At what temperature should sake be served? That depends on the type of sake (and perhaps on the season in which you drink it). In general, premium ginjo and super-premium daiginjo sake should only be served chilled below about 7 degrees C (44 degrees F). Honjozo and standard sake can be enjoyed chilled, at room temperature, or gently warmed. Avoid heating sake over 55 degrees C (130 degrees F), as this will destroy the flavor.