SAKE blog

 What shapes of vessels do you select for Sake? Do you pick up any glasses in the closest reach? If your answer is yes, you might have lost a chance to fully experience the taste of Sake, unfortunately. Do you know that there are cups and glasses specially designed to drink Sake? The variety in the styles of vessels is a reflection of the deep Sake culture. Let us discover the vessels, which should bring you a better tasting experience next time.

Sake and Sake vessels, Shuki (酒器)

 There are shapes of cups and glasses recommended for each alcoholic beverage. For instance, wine glasses are designed for tasting wine, and equally, champagne glasses are used for champagne to best extract its characters. In the same logic, When drinking Sake, it is recommended to pick suitable vessels among the Shuki (酒器, Sake cups) considering the shapes, materials, size, and thickness of the vessels. For your next occasion of Sake tasting, try to imagine how you drink it. Finding a suitable vessel can lighten up your tasting experiences.

Different types of Sake and suitable Shuki

• Koshu, long-aged Sake

  Koshu is characterized by deep flavours and rich aroma, so it can be enjoyed sip by sip. To fully recognize the entire characters of taste and aroma, vessels in glass with narrow spouts are recommended the most.

• Junmai-shu

  The aroma of Junmai-shu is not prominent. Without brewer’s alcohol being added, the characteristics of rice can be vividly expressed. Vessels with narrow spouts or the straight shape are especially recommended to help Sake spread into your mouth uniformly. Junmai-shu carries a symbolic flavour of Sake. Why don’t you try it in a traditional vessel to add some stylishness while enjoying the authentic taste?

• Ginjo and Daiginjo

  This type of Sake is high in aroma content and has clear and sharp tastes. Despite the fact its ingredient is rice, Ginjo and Daiginjo are rich in floral and citric aroma, therefore, vessels with larger spouts are highly recommended to fully enjoy the aromatic characters.

• Futsu-shu and Nama-sake

  Futsu-shu and Nama-sake are as light as water in terms of aroma and flavours. Due to the oxidization, these types of Sake easily lose their aroma, and the flavours are easily affected by the change in temperature. Small vessels to hold solely 1 sip of Sake, in a smooth-textured surface are recommended.

  Above is a simple guidance for the selection of vessels. Sake is delicate. Some people say that flavours and aroma of each Sake is determined by the types of vessels. This simultaneously indicates that you can enjoy Sake even more with vessels of your favourite shapes and material. Please pay a little of attention when choosing your vessel for a better tasting experience next time. It will surely give an extra joy of tasting Sake!

ikki is looking for a partner who can post your knowledge or activity on our media. If you are interested please contact us through CONTACT page.

Author: Yutaro Kobayashi

President & CEO, Kobayashi Junzo Shoten Co., Ltd.

Based in Osaka, I lead Kobayashi Junzo Shoten, a sake wholesaler founded in 1890. Through the cultural richness of Japanese sake, my mission is to connect people and bring smiles to dining tables around the world.

While technology continues to make the world feel smaller, the stories and traditions behind sake brewing can easily fade into the background. I see my role as a bridge—sharing the passion of brewers, opening doors for new audiences, and delivering sake in a way that feels more approachable and relatable.

I enjoy visiting sake breweries, learning about new rice varieties and brewing techniques, and spending time with toji (master brewers) and kurabito (brewery workers) to experience the spirit of sake-making firsthand. On this blog, I’ll share those encounters, my personal insights, and tips to help you enjoy sake even more.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to connecting with you.