SOTO Junmai Sake 180ml Can

A proper Niigata junmai in a single-serve can - nothing to open beyond the ring-pull, and no glassware required unless you want it. SOTO (the name means "outside") set out to carry good sake beyond Japan, and this 180ml can is the grab-and-go form of their pure-rice house style.

It is brewed in Niigata, Japan's snow country, from Gohyakumangoku rice polished to 65% and pure mountain snowmelt. As a junmai it is made with rice, water, koji and yeast alone, with no added distilled alcohol, and it sits at a gentle 14% ABV. The can itself was designed by Joe Doucet and took a Dieline packaging award in 2017.

On the palate it is delicate and soft, with apple, golden raisin and steamed rice over a savoury, mineral undertow, and a faintly earthy, mushroom-like aroma. The finish is dry and clean - a food-friendly, understated style rather than a showy, high-polish daiginjo.

How to Serve

Best lightly chilled, around 8-10C, in a small cup or a wine glass; it also takes gentle warming if that is your preference. The 180ml can pours one generous serving.

Where to Drink It

J Sheekey, Scott's, Brat.

Food Pairings

A natural alongside sashimi, sushi and tempura, but the dry, mineral character flatters plenty beyond Japanese food - oysters, grilled white fish, roast chicken and mild soft cheeses all work.