Nigori Sake-ish 2025
I wanted to make something like sake, but without getting too serious about it. This is cloudy, a bit wild, and definitely homemade — more doburoku than refined nigori, but close enough. It’s made with jasmine rice, white koji, and wine yeast, and has ended up soft, tangy, and boozy.
- Style
- Nigori-style sake (doburoku-inspired)
- ABV
- Estimated 13–15%
- Batch size
- 5L
Details
What is nigori sake-ish?
Nigori sake is usually lightly filtered sake with some rice sediment left in for texture and sweetness. What I’ve made is a bit rougher — closer to doburoku, the rustic farmhouse version made with rice, water, koji and yeast, all fermented together.
I used jasmine rice instead of a more traditional short-grain variety, which gave it a soft floral note. The result is a drink that sits somewhere between traditional nigori and homemade invention.
What we made
I started this in mid-July with jasmine rice, white koji, and Lalvin K1-V1116 yeast. It fermented openly for a few days with daily stirring, then I moved it to demijohns once it started to fizz properly.
Production
Ingredients
- 1.8kg jasmine rice (uncooked weight)
- 200g white rice koji (pre-made)
- Around 4.5–5L filtered water (including top-ups)
- 5g Lalvin K1-V1116 yeast
- 2.5–3g Fermaid O, added in two stages
- 1 tsp malic/citric acid blend
Aging potential
Best kept in the fridge and drunk within a few weeks
Pasteurised bottles may last up to 2–3 months
Not designed to age — this is a drink-now kind of thing