3 key criteria to choose the drinking vessel

The drinking vessel is one of the most necessary element to enjoy sake more deeply.
The shape of drinking vessels is so much diversified and there are also various materials to make vessels. How you will feel the taste and aroma of sake will be different when choose different vessels.
Please try sake with other drinking vessels you haven’t used before and discover the another face of your favorite sake.

1.The size of drinking vessel

When you drink sake in chilled, the small one is preferable, that allows you to drink it all before temperature changed.

2.The shape of drinking vessel

The wider the drinking vessel caliber is, the stronger you feel the aroma. The rapid oxidation and the amount of aroma ‘s volatilization rises up when it is in a wide caliber drinking vessel.
On the other hand, you will feel the taste richer and milder with a drinking vessel whose body is wider than its caliber.

3.The material of drinking vessel

Glass precisely distinguishes the feature of sake. If you want to enjoy the subtle difference of sake, glass is the best choice.
Contrary, it is easy to fed up with drinking the sake has richer taste sometimes. The vessels made by ceramics make the taste of sake milder and softer. When you want to drink sake slowly, these vessels are very suitable.
As for your additional information, tin cups are very good for drinking sake in both chilled and warm. Since the tin’s thermal conductivity is higher than other materials, the chilled sake is difficult to get warmed, the warm sake is difficult to get cool down.

（Source：SSI net）

3 good pairing patterns

From this part, I would like to tell you some pairing sample between sake and vessel.

1.High aromatic sake 

Since Ginjo or Daiginjo type of sake tend to have higher aroma, the drinking vessel with wider caliber such as wine glass is very suitable to enjoy the aroma more.

2.Mild and rich type of sake

When you drink the sake has rich taste highly influenced by rice, ceramic cup whose body is wider than its caliber will be the good choice. You will feel the subtle sweetness influenced by rice much milder and softer.

3.Super mild and unique sake

Basically aged sake has very strong aroma and taste. It is too distinguished to drink with vessels made by glass. Also, this is my opinion, the aged sake shows its characteristics well, when it is warmed. I think the taste becomes super mild and sweet, however, it is difficult to say “delicious” against the warm aged sake gets cool. I recommend to drink it with a tin cup, so that the temperature of sake is maintained and enjoy warm aged sake long.