Namazake

​​This post is part of The Koji Club BINGO. Play the game to win a karaoke party and build your sake chops in the process. Learn more here.

There is nothing quite like the arrival of spring in New England. As winter loosens its grip and the earth wakes from hibernation, a collective excitement for warmer, longer days takes hold. In Japan, this time is marked by the arrival of namazake, a sake that perfectly captures nature’s annual awakening in a single sip.

What is Namazake?

“Nama” has several related meanings in Japanese: raw, live (as in real time), natural. Applied to sake, Nama indicates the sake is unpasteurized, served with active enzymes from the fermentation process still intact. 

Compared to its pasteurized counterparts—most sake is briefly heated to roughly 149°F to kill off any active enzymes and stabilize it for transport and store shelves—a glass of namazake is noticeably different.

It’s zippy, vibrant and brash, with edges that six months of aging normally smooth out. And it requires special care—to prevent flavors from changing (or worse, bottles exploding from enzyme activity), namazake must stay refrigerated and away from light during transport and storage.

Why Namazake Is Associated with Spring

Traditionally, when sake production was strictly a wintertime activity in Japan, namazake would be bottled only in the spring and consumed quickly after, while the sake is fresh and young and the enzymes are most “alive”. For this reason, namazake is associated with sakura season in Japan, when the cherry blossom trees explode with blooms and paint Japan’s cities and towns a perfect shade of pink. While namazake can be found year-round due to increased production schedules, most Japanese brewers still prefer to stick to a traditional spring release. 

Like Natural Wine? You’ll Love Namazake.

Namazakes are fast friends to those who love sipping on Beaujolais Nouveau, orange wine, and natural, low-intervention and sulfite-free wines. While flavors can run the gamut, it pairs particularly well with tender green salads (looking at you, Via Carota Insalata Verde), fresh, young goat cheese, or both. 

Continued Reading: Food & Wine’s ‘This Unpasteurized Sake Is the Freshest, Funkiest Sip of Spring

EARN YOUR BINGO STICKER

This post is part The Koji Club Bingo Game.  To complete the Bingo square, follow the steps below:

Step 1. Join us at The Koji Club bar for a glass of namazake.

Step 2. Present your BINGO card to the bartender for a sticker.

Step 3. If the square completes Bingo, post a picture of your winning Bingo card on Instagram with the hashtag #DrinkGoodSake and tag @the.koji.club. This is your entry to win a Karaoke Party at The Koji Club! Play as many times as you want entries. Winners will be drawn monthly.

EXTRA CREDIT: Post a picture of your sake with your own tasting notes (the wilder the better!) and the #DrinkGoodSake hashtag. Don’t forget to tag @The.Koji.Club to make sure we see it!