Sake & brews ── Nihonshu (sake)
Nigorizake
Nigorizake — cloudy sake pressed through a coarse cloth
Sake pressed through a coarse cloth so that flecks of rice sediment are deliberately left behind. Because it does go through a pressing step, unlike doburoku, it's legally classed as sake, and bottled while fermentation is still active, it can carry a natural fizz.
What it's made of
Once fermentation finishes, the mash is pressed only lightly through a coarse cloth, leaving a cloudy white sake behind. What remains as sediment is undissolved rice grains and yeast, said to be the source of its sweetness, viscosity, and slightly grainy texture. Though doburoku is cloudy too, the two are clearly distinguished by whether the mash has been pressed at all. Giving the bottle a gentle shake before pouring is said to even out the flavor.
How it's made
The mash is pressed through a coarser cloth or mesh than ordinary sake uses, deliberately leaving fine sediment in the finished drink. So-called 'active' nigorizake, bottled while still fermenting at full tilt, keeps fermenting inside the bottle and can build up considerable carbonation — something drinkers are said to need to handle carefully when opening or storing it. It's usually served well chilled.
Why it took this shape
Because it does pass through a pressing step, it's said to be legally treated as sake rather than doburoku, which the law classifies as a separate 'other brewed alcohol.' Deliberately leaving sediment behind runs counter to the usual preference for clear, limpid sake, and the style is said to have found its place as a way to enjoy the presence of the rice itself, and is said to be a familiar winter seasonal release.
Before you go
- Enjoying a bussanten (regional products fair)A guide to what's sold at a bussanten (regional products fair), how to find one, when it gets crowded, shelf life and taking food home, and how to fit one around a trip.
- How to use an antenna shopA guide to what's sold at an antenna shop, its restaurant or eat-in counters, its tourist-information role, the cluster of shops around Ginza and Yurakucho, and how to use one before a trip or for last-minute souvenirs.
- Sake brewery tours in Nada GogoNada Gogo, spreading from Kobe to Nishinomiya in Hyogo Prefecture, is said to be one of Japan's leading sake-producing areas. Many breweries here have visitor facilities open for touring.
Dishes in the same style
- Akita no SakeAkita sake, brewed with soft water in deliberate contrast to Nada's hard water, aiming for a mellow, delicate character. Breweries buried in snow are said to gain a natural insulating effect from it, a tradition of slow, low-temperature fermentation built around that climate.
- Daiginjo-shuSake made from rice milled to 50% or less with brewing alcohol added — among the officially defined categories, the deepest level of milling, aimed at a pronounced aroma and light body, born of elaborate brewing techniques honed for tasting competitions.
Ingredients and dishes from this land
Contrast
- DoburokuA brew made from rice, koji, and water and fermented, but never pressed or filtered. Because nothing is strained out, it keeps a hint of the rice's starch and sugar and a gentle sweetness, and the law classifies it not as sake but as a separate 'other brewed alcohol.'
- Happo SeishuA sparkling style of sake carrying dissolved carbon dioxide. Often built with a lighter alcohol content and a lighter body, it's said to be chosen for toasts and as an aperitif, offering a champagne-like fizz.