Nihonsakari Japan Soda wants to give sake more opportunities to shine.

As delicious as sake can be, it can also be sort of difficult to find the right pairing for it. Sake is meant to be sipped, not gulped down, and so it’s sometimes more of a flavor accent to be enjoyed as part of a meal than a stand-alone beverage. Naturally, sake pairs best with Japanese cuisine, which tends to be more delicate in flavor, and the results can be hit-or-miss with heartier fare.

But sake maker Nihonsakari thinks sake has the potential to work well with a wider variety of foods, and so they’ve created Nihonsakari Japan Soda. The “soda” here doesn’t refer to cola, but instead to soda water, as this is a sparkling sake beverage that comes in a can.

Nihonsakari Japan Soda is made from just three ingredients: Japanese-grown rice, Japanese-produce koji, and sparkling water. The sparkling nature should help make it a refreshing drink in its own right, and unlike some of the other bubbly sake on the market, Nihonsakari has kept the sweetness at a mild level, while still retaining the flavor and faintly fruity rice aroma that sake fans find so appealing.

Since carbonated alcoholic drinks hit harder, Japan Soda is a comparatively low-alcohol sake at seven percent alcohol, around half of what orthodox, non-carbonated brews are.

As the promotional photos show, Nihonsakari is pitching Japan Soda as a complement to heavier dishes, such as fried foods, as well as stronger-flavored dishes such as sweet and creamy tamagoyaki Japanese omelets.

Nihonsakari Japan Soda is on sale now, priced at 284 yen (US$2.15) for a 180-mililiter (6.1-ounce) can. Conveniently, it’s arriving in stores just as the cherry blossoms bloom, which also makes it a nice choice for a sake beverage you don’t need a separate cup for at a sakura-viewing party.

Source: PR Times via Japaaan
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Nihonsakari
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