Up in the bar, look: It’s a wine. It’s a beer. It’s … sake? That’s pretty much how it goes for this often misunderstood Japanese alcoholic rice beverage. Few really know what it is exactly, how to order it, or how to consume it properly.
The truth is that sake is neither a wine nor a beer. Although classified as a wine by the Tax and Trade Bureau, it’s not made from fruit, but from rice—along with water, yeast, and koji, the mold used in the fermentation process.
And let’s bust another myth: sake isn’t just for drinking alongside sushi. It’s extremely food-friendly, plays well with many cuisines, and holds up as a solo sipping act.
“Sake is something you can drink on a daily basis,” says Ty Fujimura, co-owner of Arami.
The best way to learn about sake? “Drink more sake,” Fujimura suggests. We’ve sought out the best sake lists in Chicago so that you can give yourself a proper education in Japan’s signature refreshment.
Arami {1829 West Chicago Avenue; 312.243.1535}
Sake situation: Arami isn’t just about sake or sushi—it’s about celebrating all aspects of Japanese culinary culture, from the country’s food and beer to its whiskey and sake. If it’s sake you seek, the extensively trained servers can help you pick a bottle to pair with your meal based on your wine and beer preferences. Co-Owner Ty Fujimura also wants your Arami experience to expand your understanding of the beverage, empowering you to procure sake confidently at your next restaurant outing or at your local liquor store. Want to become an expert in your own right? Sign up for one of Arami’s intimate sake tastings, held quarterly.
Sunda {110 West Illinois Street; 312.644.0500}
Sake situation: The list here is all-encompassing, from milky nigori, to premium tokubetsu and clean junmais, to light daiginjos. Sunda sources sakes from all over Japan, and even offers a few bottles from Oregon. And the bar here stocks one particularly impressive pick: Yamahai junmai sake, aged in a World War II bomb shelter.
sushiDOKKU {823 West Randolph Street; 312.455.8238}
Indie Cafe {5951 North Broadway Street; 773.561.5111}
Bites Asian Tapas & Sushi {3313 North Clark Street; 773.270.5972}
Friends Sushi {710 North Rush Street; 312.787.8998}
TANOSHII {720 West Randolph Street; 312.207.8894 and 5547 North Clark Street; 773.878.6886}
Enso Sushi & Bar {1613 North Damen Avenue; 773.878.8998}
Juno Sushi {2638 North Lincoln Avenue; 773.935.2000}
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