The temperature chart
| Name | About | Feels like |
|---|---|---|
| Yukibie 雪冷え | 5°C / 41°F | Straight from a cold fridge |
| Hanabie 花冷え | 10°C / 50°F | Fridge door |
| Suzubie 涼冷え | 15°C / 59°F | Cool cellar |
| Jo-on 常温 | 20°C / 68°F | Room temperature |
| Hinatakan 日向燗 | 30°C / 86°F | Barely warm |
| Hitohadakan 人肌燗 | 35°C / 95°F | Skin temperature |
| Nurukan ぬる燗 | 40°C / 104°F | Warm bath |
| Jokan 上燗 | 45°C / 113°F | Pleasantly warm |
| Atsukan 熱燗 | 50°C / 122°F | Hot |
| Tobikirikan 飛び切り燗 | 55°C+ / 131°F+ | Very hot |
A simple rule of thumb
- Chill fragrant, fruity sake: ginjo, daiginjo, nama. Cold keeps the aroma bright. See fruity sake.
- Room temperature shows rice and umami best. See room-temperature picks.
- Warm junmai, honjozo, kimoto and yamahai. Heat softens acidity and rounds out savory flavors. See sake to drink hot.
How to warm sake at home
- Pour sake into a small heat-proof flask (tokkuri) or a mug.
- Stand it in a pan of water that has just come off the boil.
- Wait 2–4 minutes. Touch the bottom of the flask: warm to the touch is nurukan; hot is atsukan.
Avoid the microwave if you can: it heats unevenly and can flatten aroma.