Welcome to Hiroshima, The "Sake Town" - Feature 3

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To the Sake Bar

If you want to know much sake so fascinating, the very first thing you should do is try drinking some.
Koishi Sakebar, an establishment in downtown Hiroshima boasting a fantastic selection, is a great place for everyone, from first-time sake drinkers to experienced connoisseurs, to enjoy this Japanese drink. Here you can taste a wide range of more than 30 Hiroshima sakes and products from renowned sake brewing districts like Kure, Saijo and Takehara. Before embarking on a tour of the breweries, we recommend you sample several sakes.

The appeal of Japanese sake lies in its wide range of flavors. There's sparkling sake like champagne, tart sake similar to Riesling, sake with a deliciously rich rice flavor, old koshu brews resembling Sherry, and then rare kijō-shu. Their tastes are surprisingly numerous, and the more you get to know them, the deeper the meaning of sake becomes. Koishi Sakebar is a place where you can relish the allure of Japanese sake in style.
You ought to first start out with a glass of Hiroshima sake. That's because many types are a little sweet with a flowery aroma, making them go down smoothly. From the second glass on, moving on from the slightly sweet sakes to ones with richer flavor will probably help you adjust to the different taste. If you're unsure of what to choose, just refer to the bar's sake menu. It divides flavors into eight categories according to a complex system including acidity, sugariness, level of amino acids, and maturation. After drinking for a bit, you'll gradually get a feel for where your preferences are heading.

The taste of Japanese sake can differ greatly depending on its temperature when imbibing, as well as the shape and size of the glass. These transformations are another part of enjoying sake.
At Koishi Sakebar you can delight in savory local gourmet such as seafood from the Inland Sea, so make sure to experiment matching sake with the food. You're likely to happen on a special delectable combination only available here.
In Japan there is an expression about sake, tashinami, which translates as "refined," but in this context it means pleasant enjoyment, including not only the act of drinking itself, but also the elaborate beauty of the sake vessel, sake etiquette and other cultural elements related to sake. We hope you'll experience the tashinami of Japanese sake for yourself in Hiroshima as you taste exquisite flavors crafted from rice.