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There are many types of drinks available in Japan and Japanese style restaurants. The most popular alcoholic drinks in Japan are beer, sake, shochu, whiskey and brandy, wine, liqueurs, and green tea.[1][ The most common drinks served with sushi are beer, sake, and green tea.

Beer first appeared in Japan after it was opened to the West in the last half of the 19^th century. The Japanese quickly mastered the art of brewing and are known internationally for their beer. In Japan, beer recently replaced sake as the national drink. Japanese beer comes in both 12-oz. (ko-bin) and liter (o-bin) bottles. Japanese beer is both light and mellow, although some companies now offer dark beers. The most popular beers from Japan are Kirin (larger and ichiban), Asahi (dry), and Sapporo (draft & dark).

Sake, which is a rice wine, dates back to the beginning of Japanese civilization. Originally, the brewing and drinking of sake was closely linked to Shintoism - a religion founded in Japan that pays reverence to nature and one's ancestors. Presently, sake is a common drink offered at home, to guests, at parties and for special occasions.

Sake is made using the following process:

1.) The proper rice is selected.

2.) After selection, the rice is polished, washed, soaked and steamed.

3.) Then the rice is cooled using cold air.

4.) The cooled rice is then separated with 20% going to the Kogi Room - a place where rice is cultivated to produce enzymes that convert starch to sugar - for two days, while the remaining 80% is fermented with yeast, spring water, and two day old kogi. Fermentation takes 20 days.

5.) After 20 days, everything is pressed to create a wine. This wine is then filtered, pasteurized, and placed into large vats for 6 months.

6.) After six months, the final blend and filtration take place. When this is finished, the sake is ready to be bottled.

Sake is classified into three categories on the basis of polishing rate, alcohol percentage, alcohol additions, taste, color, and aroma. The three grades are as follows:

1.) Special Grade (tokkyu)

2.) First Grade (ikkyu)

3.) Second Grade (nikkyu)

Within these grades are a variety of sake based on the sweetness (amakuchi) or dryness (karakuchi) of the sake. The following are some examples:

1.) Ginjo - light & fruity

2.) Honjozo - smooth

3.) Junmai - full-bodied

4.) Genshu - heavy

5.) Taruzake - woodsy

Sake is commonly served chilled or at room temperature, although in the United States, hot sake is very common. The most popular brands of sake are Ozeki, Hakutsuru (White Crane), and Gekkeikan. The areas of Japan most noted for the quality of their sake are Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Akita, Nagano, and Hiroshima.

Sake vat in Takayama, Japan.

Sake room in Takayama, Japan.

Tea, called cha in Japanese, was introduced to Japan around 725 AD under the reign of Emperor Shomu. Later, a new version of tea - made with powdered green leaves - became very popular. This form of powdered tea is called matcha in Japanese, and is used during traditional Japanese tea ceremonies (chanoyu). A variation of matcha is green tea, called ryukucha in Japan. Adding hot water to dried green tea leaves makes green tea. This form of Japanese tea is most popular in the West.

Drinking Etiquette

1.) Do not pour your own cup. This is considered rude.

2.) Pour only the cups of the people in your party, then let one of them pour your cup.

3.) Do not ask a person to pour you a cup.

4.) Always pick up your cup when a person is pouring.

5.) If someone offers to pour you something to drink, but your cup is full, you should take a sip and offer it for refilling

[1] Everything Japanese, by Boye De Mente, p. 9

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