Warm or Cold?

Dear Friends,

Warm or Cold? This is the question!...and the answer?.....well it depends.

If the subject is Dubai for example, then surely warm is the way forward, with eight months of summer and four months of open-air fire place.

If we change the topic to white wine, then the word cold would fit perfectly with a dry and crisp beverage, eager to release its freshness and lively character.


If then the topic changes again to Sake (Nihonshu), then we are back to square one and still floating onto a sea of interpretation and possibilities. This is because enjoying sake warm or cold doesn’t depend upon codes or etiquettes – but on personal preferences and I usually describe this as one of ‘the beauty of sake’. There are no rules, nobody to ask permission, no question to be answered or need to call the ultimate expert to tell us how to go about it. We are all pretty much on the driving seat and we can all make the decision when choosing sake’ from a menu.

Tateyama Ginrei Honjozo

Yes because sake, contrary to most wines, performs well cold or warm or room temperature – it just offers a different experience and do not upsets us like a warm white wine could do. When warm, it enounces the hearty, creamy, rounded and spicy texture of the sake, while the same chilled, would give the way to fruitier, fresher and crispier sensations.

In the 15^th Century the Japanese were already serving sake’ warm, without realising that it was also a way to preserve its quality. Then around 200 years after, Pasteurisation was discovered.

Kan-sake refers to Warm-sake.

Now-a-days, with modern and sophisticated production techniques, Breweries are able to produce styles of sake’ designed to better suit the warm service as vehicle to emphasise its character. The opposite it’s true for dry, crisp, elegant and premium style of sake’ that calls for cold service temperature.

Use a Water-Bath method to warm sake’ and gently bring the temperature to around 45/50 degrees Celsius. In restaurants they usually use a dispenser to ensure consistency and speed of service.



Hiya-sake refers to Cold-sake

As you can see from all the Bla Bla Bla above, we didn’t come to a solution or a common ground – and thank God for that. For once we don’t have rules and we don’t have to be expert – but just asked to enjoy something the way we like or we feel like.

 Try to start your meal with cold sake for affinity with your appetizers or as an aperitif and then leave the bottle on the table to naturally allow the temperature to rise. By then, you will move on to main courses and much richer dishes – and the liquid will follow the same trend and grow in character with it.

In essence, Warm or Cold?......well, it depends!

Giorgio Vallesi