Now that Vancouver has its own Sake Distillery and Tojo has designed the bar of his shiny new Broadway restaurant with the serving of artisan sake in mind, it would probably be a good idea for lounge sophisticates to brush up on their sake terminology.

Tuck a cherry blossom behind your ear and memorize these terms which distinguish a sake by its brewing method. And don't forget to bow.



Genshu: An undiluted sake, that is higher in alcohol because it has been pressed but not diluted with added water.

Jizake: "Local" or more hand-made sake.

Koshu: Aged sake. It has been aged for a couple of years, or upwards of five years to create a bouquet like sherry, with the flavour of spices and nuts.

Masu: A square wooden box made for drinking sake.
(Most experts prefer white wine-style glasses.)

Namazake: Unpasteurized sake, usually a seasonal specialty and characterized by a light, fresh flavour.

Nigorizake: Cloudy or milky, unfiltered. The mash is only lightly filtered using a coarse-textured cloth.

Nihonshu: What Japanese call sake, it means Japan (Nihon) alcohol (shu).

Sake meter value: Sakes are measured in sweetness - the higher, the drier (a 6 is neutral).

Sparkling Sake: Carbonated Sake, with a mouth feel similar to Champagne.

Taruzake: Aged in cedar barrels to take on the fragrance of the wood from which the cask is made.

Of course the most important thing to know is not to call it "sacky" or you will come across like a western hayseed. It's pronounced "sah-keh".