Kanpai!

Kanpai!

Whether you're out with friends, clients, or belting out a tune at the local karaoke bar, you're sure to have a drink at least once during your stay. Things may look a little different, even before you start knocking back a few, so take note on the liquors of this island nation. And remember, shout Kanpai! (sounds like "kaan-pie") instead of Cheers! when you raise your glass.

Beverage of the Samurai

Sake, pronounced sa-kay, is Japan's number one alcoholic beverage. There are more than 2,000 different brands of sake produced throughout Japan. Like other kinds of wine, sake comes in sweet (amakuchi) and dry (karakuchi) varieties; these are graded tokkyu (superior class), ikkyu (first class), and nikkyu (second class) and are priced accordingly. (Connoisseurs say this ranking is for tax purposes and is not necessarily a true indication of quality)

Best drunk at room temperature (nurukan) so as not to alter the flavor, sake is also served heated (atsukan) or with ice (rokku de). It's poured from tokkuri (small ceramic vessels) into tiny cups called choko. The diminutive size of these cups shouldn't mislead you into thinking you can't drink too much. The custom of making sure that your companion's cup never runs dry often leads the novice astray.

Junmaishu is the term for pure rice wine, a blend of rice, yeast, and water to which no extra alcohol has been added. Junmaishu sake has the strongest and most distinctive flavor, compared with various other methods of brewing, and is preferred by the sake tsu, as connoisseurs are known.

Apart from the nomiya (bars) and restaurants, the place to sample sake is the izakaya, a drinking establishment that usually serves dozens of different kinds of sake, including a selection of jizake, the kind produced in limited quantities by small regional breweries throughout the country.

Heavenly Spirits

Shochu is made from grain and particularly associated with the southern island of Kyushu. It's served either on the rocks or mixed with water and can be hot or cold. Sometimes a wedge of lemon or a small pickled apricot, known as umeboshi, is added as well. It can also be mixed with club soda and served cold.

Havin' a Biiru

Japan has four large breweries: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory. Asahi and Kirin are the two heavyweights, constantly battling for the coveted title of "Japan's No. 1 Brewery," but many beer fans rate Suntory's Malts brand and Sapporo's Yebisu brand as the tastiest brews in the land. Although there are some microbreweries across Japan, locally produced brews can still be hard to find, even when you know they exist.