Here are the best places in Mumbai to try Japanese rice drink sake

Representation pic

Earlier this month, one of the additions on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was the Japanese rice drink, sake. On the UNESCO website, the inscription mentioned that ‘the traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with koji mold in Japan' was included in this prestigious list.

Before this global acknowledgement of its cultural significance, the beverage had made its presence in India, particularly in the past three to four years. Tonu Bage, representative and sake expert at Rad Elan, one of the leading distributors of sake in the country, calls the Japanese spirit the middle child of the alcohol family. "It is stronger than wine and beer but too polite to party like the spirits," she tells us.

Tonu Bage

Sake is of two types: Junmai and non-junmai, and is crafted across regions in the country, like Hyogo, Niigata Kobe, Nada and Fushimi. Junmai is made from rice, water, yeast and koji while non-junmai includes an addition of neutral alcohol called Jozo, or brewer's alcohol. "Under this, there are four types that fall under premium categories: Daiginjo, made from rice that is milled to 70 per cent, and Ginjo with up to 60 per cent brewer's alcohol. For junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo, the milling ratio remains the same but with no additional alcohol. Other base level categories include honjozo and futsushu," Bage informs. Best appreciated as neat shots, cocktails tend to lose the taste of the spirit. "The umami is lost," she reveals, adding, "but it is a good way to interact with the spirit."

Sake is savoured in shot glasses called ochoko, poured into a cup from a ceramic decanter called tokkuri. "The server or host holds the bottle with two hands - right hand holds the neck, and the left holds the base. It is polite to use both hands when pouring and receiving sake," she points out.

Anil Kably of Izumi, Bandra, says Mumbai has a long way to go to improve its appetite for sake. Masumi Kuro, a junmai ginjo sake (Rs 5,700 for 300ml), is a top seller at the restaurant. "We conduct training for our staff two to three times a year, so they are able to offer it to our guests. The good thing about sake is that it has various flavours and textural notes, some being dry while others are fruity and floral. Junmai daiginjo generally has a fruitier flavour. In general, the higher the polishing the more refined the sake," he elaborates.

Sake in the city

Ichigo sour

>> Ichigo sour (Rs 827) is a delightful blend of strawberry, balsamic, and sake, creating a beautifully balanced drink that's sweet yet sour. Coming up on the menu is kira kira (Rs 850), a sparkling sake with fresh grapes. It's a take on Bellini or a mimosa.

Avantika Malik

AT Mizu Izakaya, ground floor, Ganga Jamuna Building, 14th Road, Khar West.
CALL 9372023641

Sakuraaaa

>> We assure you the spellings are not incorrect. Co-founder of Donmai, Sameer Uttamsingh, has named the cocktails with an extra punch. "In Matchaaaa (R875), we make a matcha concoction with gin and sake, which is then clarified by milk washing.

Sameer Uttamsingh

It is stirred over ice. It is garnished with a drop of shiso oil and served with a matcha flavoured pocky. Sakuraaaa (Rs 945), has gin, cranberry juice and cherry extract mixed over ice with edible glitter. This is topped with sparkling sake.
AT Donmai, G-03, Altimus, opposite Doordarshan Towers, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli.
CALL 9730659776

>> The sake menu at this Bandra space is designed to provide guests with an authentic and curated experience of Japan's most iconic beverage. They are handpicked from many regions of Japan to give a diverse selection, ranging from Junmai, Ginjo, Daiginjo, Honjozo styles. "We serve our sake in hand-crafted ceramic cups [ochoko] or cedar masu boxes for a traditional touch," explains Syesha Kapoor, its co-founder. Tokachi ice (Rs 1,200) is an aromatic effervescent drink with umami from shitake rum and vanilla infused sake and topped with sparkling wine.
AT Akina, Turner Road, Bandra West.
CALL 8976452911

>> Masako (Rs 1,250) is spiked with herbal tea blend with chamomile, jasmine, rose and lavender, citrus, mushroom infusion and fresh lychee juice, and is named after the Empress of Japan.
AT Dashanzi, JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu.
CALL 66933344

>> At Mirai, the mojito gets a refreshing Japanese twist in the form of the Asian sake lemonade (R800). This is prepared with Honjozo sake, aromatic herbs such as lemongrass, kaffir lime, Thai basil leaves and fresh muskmelon.
AT Suburbia Building, between Linking Road and Swami Vivekananda Road, Bandra West.
CALL 9004618228

>> Masumi kaya sake and Good day soju are muddled with refreshingly fruity flavours with a garnish of a berry smoke bubble to create a Geisha-style concoction (R870).
AT Amaru, KC Marg, General Arunkumar Vaidya Nagar, Bandra West.
CALL 9833450040

>> The residents of Koliwada brew their ferments in-house, which taste very similar to sake, and are very fruity and uplifting. The folks at Slink & Bardot took inspiration and put together a Koli echoes (R1,200), a cocktail with sake, vodka, Umeshu, lychee, cucumber and fresh lemon.
AT Slink & Bardot, Thadani House 329/A, opposite Indian Coast Guard, Worli Village.
CALL 9326965643

Did You Know?

Originally, sake was made only by women. As demand increased, men became involved in the process. Today, people of all genders can master the knowledge and skills. Sake-making is transmitted through apprenticeships.
Information: courtesy: UNESCO/ inscribed in 2024 (19.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Top sakes in Mumbai

Sake can be differentiated in daiginjo ( 70 per cent); ginjo (60 per cent); honjozo and genshu (base alcohol) brews.
>> Gekkeikan (Junmai Daiginjo)
>> Hakushika Yamadanishiki (Junmai genshu)
>> Borngold (Junmai daiginjo)
>> Hakutsuru Awayuki (sparkling)
>> Hakushika Tokubetsu Yamadanishiki (Honjozo)