CHOOSING YOUR SAKE WARE
GLASSES
CRYSTAL GLASSES
GLASS
When you drink aromatic sake, the
most suitable drinking vessels to use are
crystal glasses similar to wine glasses.
The shape of these glasses captures the
aroma of the sake very well, and can also
aerate the sake inside the glass. They
are often made with very thin glass,
helping you to enjoy the actual texture
of the sake rather than the material of
the glass. Depending on the glass shape,
the degree of fragrance enhancement
changes - this is very variable. Ginjo or
Daiginjo sake grades would suit vintage
champagne glasses like the one adjacent.
OCHOKO
EARTHENWARE, GLASS, CERAMIC,
WOOD, METAL, LACQUER
Ochoko are the most standard and
probably the smallest sake cups available
on the market. They are used for judging
the Annual National Sake Competition
(Kikichoko). With upright sides, the
ochoko helps sake aroma to rise to the top
of the cup, capturing its best and most
articulate fragrance in a standardised
way. Ochoko are also excellent to examine
the colour and clarity of sake when
the traditional white with blue lines
design is used.
GUINOMI
HIRAHAI
GLASS, CERAMIC, WOOD, METAL,
LACQUER
Hirahai are probably the most well
known for their use in the Japanese
wedding ceremony - San-San-Ku-Do
- Drinking sake from a hirahai at their
third sip in turn, 3 times a bride, 3 times
a bride groom, then last 3 times a bride
again – 3 times 3 equal lucky number 9
to make them more united in terms of
their consumption and spiritual sharing.
Hirahai are very shallow and extremely
wide-mouthed. It is probably the oldest
sake vessel, but an extremely elegant
way to enjoy sake as the way Japanese
nobles did in the Heian period (7941185) in Kyoto. As hirahai have such
wide mouths, they are not suitable for
warm sake but suit Futsu-shu, Junmai
and Honjozo.
MASU
MUSEUM OF SAKE JOURNAL 10
GLASS, CERAMIC, WOOD, METAL,
LACQUER, EARTHENWARE
Guinomi are different from ochoko in that
they do not necessarily have upright,
straight sides - they could be slightly
curved or with a wider opening at the
top. The majority are much bigger in
size than o