Sake, can also be spelled as saki, is a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice. Sake is light in colour, is noncarbonated, has a sweet flavour, and contains up to 18 percent alcohol.
Sake is often mistakenly called a wine because of its appearance and alcoholic content; however, it is made in a two-step process similar to that for brewing beer. Special strains of rice are precisely milled to remove the outer layers, a process that reduces the grain to 50–70 percent of its original size.
In Japan, where it is the national beverage, sake is served with special ceremony. Before being served, it is warmed in a small earthenware or porcelain bottle called a tokkuri; it is usually sipped from a small porcelain cup called a sakazuki. Premium sake, of a delicate flavour, is served cold or on ice.
To learn more, visit Britannica.
Tip! Learn how to drink sake in Japan from The Telegraph.