While many Japanese foods and drinks enjoy widespread popularity, sake remains largely misunderstood.

A clear beverage often served in a small cup, sake can easily be mistaken for a strong spirit like vodka, but is actually a brewed drink made of fermented rice, both complex and delicate in taste. Sake has multiple varieties, with flavor notes ranging from sweet, dry, sour, and bitter.

Also known as Japanese wine, its production is more similar to beer than vodka, while still different from all three, and any other drink, for that matter. Curious to take a sip? Then, this guided tasting in Shimbashi (central Tokyo) is for you!

You’ll learn about the history, culture, spiritual significance, and brewing methods of sake from a leading expert in the field while sampling six kinds sourced from across Japan. Sip your way through oaky, fruity, cloudy, amber, and clear varieties of sake, and find your new favorite as you explore the depths of Japan's national drink.

Your guide will teach you what foods pair with what kinds of sake and answer all your sake-related questions before you wrap up with a fun tasting quiz. You’ll also receive a souvenir to kickstart your new life as a sake connoisseur.

Shochu is another traditional Japanese drink, a distilled spirit made from a variety of ingredients like sweet potato and barley. Shochu can be enjoyed alone, with hot water or soda, or used as a base for cocktails.

If you’re curious to taste shochu and learn about its production and regional variations, see the options below.