Sake has no expiration date! ?

When you look at the label of sake, it only shows the production date and year of brewing, but not the expiration date. The same goes for wine, but it has a high alcohol content and basically does not spoil.

By the way, the manufacturing date is the year and month of bottling. The sake brewing year, written as 〇〇BY, represents the period from July 7st of the year to June 1th of the following year.

How to store sake to protect it from temperature, light, and oxidation

However, please note that the flavor may change depending on how you store it.

First of all, the temperature. Junmai sake and honjozo sake, which have been pasteurized twice, are usually safe at room temperature, but ginjo sake and daiginjo sake should be stored in the refrigerator. Also, alcoholic beverages with the word ``nama'' in them, such as namazake, must be refrigerated.

The next thing to pay attention to is light. Ultraviolet rays cause chemical changes in amino acids and other substances, causing unpleasant odors and flavors. The reason why many sake bottles are brown is because they have the effect of blocking light. Be careful not only with sunlight, but also with ultraviolet rays from fluorescent lights. For long-term storage, please store in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight and away from heat radiating sources such as home appliances. We also recommend wrapping it in newspaper or putting it in a gift box.

The taste also changes due to oxidation caused by exposure to air. The reason why it's better not to lay a half-finished bottle on its side is because the surface area of ​​the bottle that comes in contact with the air increases.

What is the standard for drinking after opening?

After opening any alcoholic beverage, please put it in the refrigerator. Drink pasteurized Junmaishu and Honjozo sake within a month, Ginjo sake within a week, and Nama Sake within a few days. If you can't put the bottle in the refrigerator, you can transfer it to a clean bottle or plastic bottle you have.

However, the interesting thing about sake is that the taste does not change completely after opening the bottle. You may feel that the scent opens up when exposed to the air, or that the hardness has been removed and it has become mellower. The best time to drink it is up to you, so feel free to try it out to suit your tastes.

Writer Eriko Fujita
Sake master. Expand your world to a sake specialty store in Osaka and encounter a variety of sake and sake breweries. Favorite Japanese sake is Akishika, Wangi, etc.
Other than drinking, my hobbies include collecting minerals and raising swallowtail butterflies.

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