What's the difference between "Sake" and "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages"? Understanding Japanese Alcohol Classifications by Production Category

1. "Sake" and "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages": What are the distinctions under the Liquor Tax Act?

In Japan, the manufacturing and sale of alcoholic beverages are strictly regulated by the Liquor Tax Act. Please note that manufacturing or selling without a license is a legal violation.

The Act broadly classifies alcoholic beverages into four types: "Sparkling Alcoholic Beverages," "Brewed Alcoholic Beverages," "Distilled Alcoholic Beverages," and "Mixed Alcoholic Beverages." Within brewed alcoholic beverages, there are further categories such as "Sake," "Synthetic Sake," "Fruit Wine," and "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages."

Most of what is generally referred to as "Japanese sake" falls under the legal definition of "Sake" under the Liquor Tax Act.

Other beverages, such as what is commonly known as "doburoku" and certain fermented drinks, may be classified as "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages."

These two categories, while seemingly following similar production methods, are fundamentally different in terms of the requirements stipulated by the Liquor Tax Act.

These differences are summarized along three axes: "Filtration Obligation," "Additives Regulation," and "Range of Ingredients."

What is noteworthy here is the phrase "has been filtered."

To be shipped as sake, the moromi (mash) must always be filtered.

This is the fundamental difference from "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages."

2. Main Differences

①: Whether there is an obligation to filter moromi (mash)

In sake production, the stage where rice, rice koji, and water are prepared and fermented is called moromi.

If this moromi remains as is, it is "doburoku (turbid moromi)."

Incidentally, while moromi cannot be filtered in the case of other brewed alcoholic beverages, if it has separated into clear liquid and sediment over time, simply scooping out the clear liquid is considered filtration.

This regulation has a significant impact on practical operations. For example, when farm stay operators or small local businesses utilize the "Doburoku Special Zone" system to manufacture and sell doburoku, they often obtain a manufacturing license for "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages."

While a sake license requires moromi to be filtered to a clear state before shipping, a crucial reason is also that new brewing licenses for sake, shochu, and mirin are not currently being accepted.

Furthermore, this difference directly affects the appearance of the product.

Filtered sake generally results in a transparent to pale yellow liquid, whereas doburoku, classified as other brewed alcoholic beverages, is sold in a cloudy, white state.

Recently popular "nigorizake" belongs to the sake category. This is because it satisfies the "filtered" requirement by either intentionally adding back a small amount of sediment after initial filtration, or by using a coarser filter cloth to leave a trace amount of solids.

3. Main Differences

②: Regulations regarding additives during fermentation

Another important axis distinguishing sake from other brewed alcoholic beverages is the range of ingredients and additives that can be introduced during fermentation.

In sake, the ingredients that can be used for brewing are explicitly stipulated by the Liquor Tax Act. For example, directly adding yuzu or plums to the fermenting moromi is not permitted under a "sake" manufacturing license (if fruit juice is added to finished sake, the category becomes liqueur, requiring a different license).

On the other hand, in the category of other brewed alcoholic beverages, it is sometimes possible to incorporate such "unusual ingredients" into the fermentation process, which has gained attention amid the recent craft fermented beverage boom.

For example, fruit doburoku, which adds fruits during fermentation while based on rice and koji, is one such example.

4. Main Differences

③: Range of usable ingredients

Sake is primarily made from "rice, rice koji, and water."

The definition of sake in the Liquor Tax Act includes the phrase "made by fermenting rice, rice koji, and water, which has been filtered," which sets the minimum conditions for sake. The addition of alcohol or sugars is permitted if statutory requirements are met, but only within the scope of "sake."

In contrast, "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages," as the name suggests, is a broad category that encompasses brewed alcoholic beverages that do not fall under the definitions of sake, synthetic sake, fruit wine, beer, etc.

They can use grains and sugars as primary ingredients, and other things as secondary ingredients, such as products made with herbs or hops.

5. Comparison with specific examples

Case ①: Doburoku Special Zones and direct sales from farmers

With the "Structural Reform Special Zone" system initiated in 2003, farmers and farm stay operators in specific regions became able to locally produce and sell doburoku on a small scale.

This doburoku is manufactured under a license for "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages," and due to its special zone status, there are also regulations that only doburoku can be produced.

It is expanding through regional revitalization and promotion of farm stays, with special zones now existing nationwide, including Takatsuki City in Osaka.

Case ②: Is nigorizake sake or other brewed alcoholic beverages?

Most "nigorizake" sold commercially is classified as sake.

This is because it meets the legal requirement of "filtration" by passing the moromi through a coarse cloth, a process called "arakoshi" (coarse filtration).

Although it appears cloudy, it is legally filtered sake under the Liquor Tax Act.

On the other hand, doburoku, which is not filtered at all, falls under the category of other brewed alcoholic beverages.

Case ③: Craft sake made by fermenting rice and fruit together

In recent years, craft fermented beverages have emerged that are based on rice and koji but also incorporate herbs or fruits during fermentation.

Since these use ingredients outside the scope of sake's ingredient regulations in the fermentation process, they are often produced as "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages," and this is indicated on the label.

Case ④: Junmai-shu and Honjozo-shu

"Junmai-shu" is sake made only from rice, rice koji, and water, without the addition of brewing alcohol.

"Honjozo-shu" is sake with a small amount of brewing alcohol added. Both are legally classified as "sake" under the Liquor Tax Act.

Both undergo a moromi filtration process, making them a completely different category from doburoku; doburoku cannot be called junmai-shu.

Our brewery refers to this as junmai brewing.

6. Table: Sake vs. Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages

7. Summary: What the two categories signify

"Sake" and "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages" both share the commonality of being fermented beverages made from rice, koji, and water, yet they differ distinctly in terms of the requirements stipulated by the Liquor Tax Act.

Sake is bound by two restrictions: "must be filtered" and "ingredients limited to statutory items," which serves as the institutional backing to preserve traditional sake quality.

On the other hand, "Other Brewed Alcoholic Beverages" is a category freed from these restrictions, offering a more flexible manufacturing license option for farmers in Doburoku Special Zones and manufacturers creating new craft fermented beverages.

Understanding the legal mechanisms behind alcoholic beverages might just be an entry point to enjoying sake more deeply.