Willie,

Try it cold. Sake cold is a far better call in my opinion. Warm Sake always seems to scream out for a sip of cold beer as a chaser and that defeats much of why I chose the Sake as my beverage that evening.

The way to serve it is in a cylindrical glass about the size of the typical juice glass. Put this in a fresh wooden box (or in a saucer if that is all that is available) and overpour the glass such that it overflows. Take a sip to make space and then pour the balance ( the bit on the dish) into the glass and carry on.

Sake is not drunk in small quantities usually (most bottles are 1.8 liters) and I am surprised by the comment in the cited article about premium sake being hangover free. As a long term consumer of the stuff, I assure you the exact opposite is true. It is widely regarded in Japan as the drink which you know will "Nokoru" or "stay with you for a while. The "buzz" seems to persist into the next day for some reason.

A couple of favorite Sakes of mine are Hakkaisan and Otokoyama. Both are limited release and can be pricey, but can be found for for reasonabale prices also. Another great thing to try is Jizake, which is to sake as Microbrewery beer is to major brands. Often a cloudier sake drunk fresher and generally available only at the source. If Niigata is on you itinerary, (but Tokyo works equally as well ) it is a must try for the Sake fan.

Have fun with the sake you bought and I look forward to a report back. No resason in the world great sake cannot be produced in the US and this would be a great find.

Mike

[This message has been edited by mjm (edited 08-13-2003).]