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Hawaii: In Real Life ~ Sake 101

Sake has emerged as the trendy alcohol of choice, sometimes in place of wine. Find out why it’s not just for sushi anymore


By Melissa Chang

If you’ve ever wondered about sake but were afraid to ask, visit The Sake Stop at 1461 S. King St. Their whole reason for opening their store was to help educate people about sake and share in the appreciation of the rice-based alcohol.

They have free tastings at least once a month around a theme. During their tastings, they teach you about the rice, the regions, and other unique aspects of each featured sake.

Sake has become so popular, you can drink it in place of wine — if you know the right flavor profile. So we visited with Nadine Leong of The Sake Shop to learn a little more about this trendy alcohol and some of the things you might look out for when drinking it at a Japanese restaurant.

To see more of this episode and learn more about sake, visit HawaiiIRL.com.

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You can read all of Melissa’s blogs at www.nonstophonolulu.com/urbanmixplate. Follow Melissa on Twitter @Melissa808, on Foursquare as Melissa808, or email at Melissa@nonstophonolulu.com.

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NeilYamamoto 25 pts

I am commenting on your blog... because I feel bad about not commenting on your blog... You know, even though I didn't comment on the blog, I actually took notes of yours and Nadine's video.... hopefully, I'll have an opportunity to try out the things I learned from the video. again, I AM commenting on your blog.

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Melissa808 268 pts

NeilYamamoto LOL Thanks for stopping by!

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ParkRat 27 pts

NeilYamamoto Buwahahahaha! Where is the ULTRA-LIKE button! Hahahaha.

*ducks from flying shoe*

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Melissa808 268 pts

ParkRat NeilYamamoto Gunfunnit!

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Annoddah_Dave 81 pts

Wine Gurl: they have some very guud sake there...Nadine is very helpful. Did you notice that sake does not "finish" like wine...because it is technically a beer!??

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Melissa808 268 pts

Annoddah_Dave yes! Well, not always. There are a few that do have a different finish. So many things to learn about sake.

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M 64 pts

Hello Melissa,
You can have my glass of sake.

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dbjack 43 pts

A couple of years ago I was in Japan for a some work related stuff and was introduced to sake, never had it before. When I tried to order it cold there were a few chuckles. Later after dinner I was cajoled into trying the same sake warm and cold to see if I could taste the difference. It is an understatement to say the warm sake was way better. Talk about surprised! However, I never had it served to me the way you guys did it. Probably would have freaked over the over-pouring thing. It was cool to watch Melissa's expression when it happened... a bit of 'what the' going on.

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Melissa808 268 pts

dbjack That is a LOT of sake! glass and a half? Two glasses? But as a good Chinee, I'd say that's good value if I'm getting it in a restaurant!

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dbjack 43 pts

Melissa808 Amen to the good value, and all my 'Chinee' friends would have shouted out 'ganbei' and pounded it down in very short order overflow and all.

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ParkRat 27 pts

I think Nadine had too much sake. She couldn't remember her website address. hahaha.

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ParkRat 27 pts

Melissa808 @ I think you CAUSE them! hahaha.

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konaish 27 pts

I love cold sake with meals, maybe even more than wine. Nadine has always been very helpful in making pairing suggestions. I'm glad we have the Sake Shop! One day I'll make it to a tasting. Thanks melissa808 and Nadine for the tutorial.

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Melissa808 268 pts

konaish they say sake leaves no hangover?? Is that true?

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konaish 27 pts

Melissa808 Never had one yet!

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harrycovair 77 pts

konaish Melissa808 Hmmm depends if were drinking other "liquids" or not I assume. Had some buds from Hiroshima in town a few years ago. Most drinking beer, others drinking some type of Daiginjo-Shu (can't remember the name although it seemed they were having fun with the syllabic mis-pronounciation of something).

I wasn't driving so I could drink. 3 guys, 3 bottles of Sake and I can't remember if I drank the entire contents of my bottle or not. Woke up woozy and with a slight headache but it cleared up in a short while.

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Melissa808 268 pts

harrycovair konaish they say it's because of the ingredients of the sake that you don't get a hangover. But I would guess it might if you drink enough!

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Ynaku 78 pts

How about Soju? I saw some yesterday but was afraid to try.

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Melissa808 268 pts

Ynaku ooooh baby steps! I'm kind of afraid to do soju, too!

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nonstopmari 245 pts

i love that sake shop tastings offer different sakes or different grades of the same label at one time, so u can really taste the difference and learn. by the time i've learned enough, i'm usually leaning on the counter. so i strongly advise eating something before u go.

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Melissa808 268 pts

nonstopmari I love being able to stagger home.

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turkfontaine 202 pts

thanks for this post. sake has always been a mystery to me, and i welcome any new info. i have not been to the SS on King. but i will go soon. i drank a lot of it in Japan for over 3yrs, but, being young at the time, i was only interested it one aspect of the drink.

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Melissa808 268 pts

turkfontaine It's STILL kind of a mystery to me! I never used to want to drink it because, while at UH, we used to drink the stuff that tasted like warm vinegar.

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About Melissa Chang

Melissa has more than 20 years’ experience in marketing and public relations. She is currently a freelance writer and independent marketing consultant, specializing in social media. 

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