The ABV of Sake: How Strong is Sake?
Sake ABV: The Short Answer
The short answer: The alcohol content of sake, or alcohol by volume (ABV), can range anywhere from 14-20%.
…but how does that compare to other alcohols? What determines sake’s ABV? And how is alcohol even made in the first place?!
These are great questions – let’s talk about all of ’em.
Sake ABV: The Long Answer
Sake’s ABV is largely the result of how its made – which is completely unique from the way any other alcohol is produced.
So, let’s talk about it.
How (Any) Alcohol is Made:
The first step of making any alcohol is finding simple sugars.
So, how do we find them? And how is the alcohol created?
Single Fermentation
In wine making, the simple sugar comes fully formed from – you probably guessed it – grape juice! So the process is simple, just add yeast, and it becomes the wine we all know and love. This one-step method of creating alcohol is called single fermentation.
Sequential Fermentation
In beer brewing, grain (like barley) is the source of simple sugars. But you can’t just squeeze barley like a grape and get sugar. It must first be cooked and malted, where its complex carbs are converted to simple sugars by enzymes. This process is called saccharification. After enough sugar is created, yeast is added to make the alcohol. This two-step method is called sequential fermentation.
Multiple Parallel Fermentation
In sake making, the source of sugar is rice — but like barley, rice doesn’t have simple sugars ready to go. Here’s where things get clever: instead of doing saccharification and fermentation one after the other like in beer brewing, sake brewers do both at the same time in the same tank. Enzymes from koji mold breaks down the rice starch into sugars, while yeast immediately converts those sugars into alcohol. This synchronized magic trick is called multiple parallel fermentation, and it’s completely unique to sake. Because sugar is steadily produced and fermented without hitting a sugar saturation limit, sake can naturally reach higher ABVs — often around 15%, and even up to 21% in undiluted styles.
— Experiment —
Taste and understand how your sake’s ABV influences its flavor in 4 easy steps:
1) Get a bottle of strong junmai genshu (like our Quiet Giant junmai genshu sake, 18% ABV)
2) Get 3 glasses – any kind of glass will do, but they should be the same shape.
3) Pour 1 oz of sake into all 3 glasses.
Glass #1: leave it as is.
Glass #2: Mix 0.5 oz of water into the sake.
Glass #3: Mix 1 oz of water into the sake.
4) Taste and write down the subtle changes you’re tasting in each glass. Try it out!
Sake ABV and Balance
After fermentation, most sake is balanced with additional water before bottling to smooth out the flavor and bring the alcohol content down to around 13–15% ABV — that’s the standard sake you’ll find most often. But when sake is bottled without dilution, it’s called genshu. Since nothing is added to lower the strength, genshu usually clocks in around 17–21% ABV. That extra punch gives it a bolder flavor and fuller body — making it great for sipping slowly or pairing with rich foods.
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