About Rice Wine

There are many types of alcoholic beverages, with various ingredients being fermented or converted to create delicious beverages. One of these is rice wine, which is popular across the globe and which changes slightly depending on the region it is made in. Perhaps the most well-known rice wine is Japanese sake, but this is not all that is available.

History

Ancient Eastern nations began the tradition of creating rice wine. This is why sake is one of the oldest types of this alcoholic beverage. China, Japan, Thailand and neighboring nations all had their own particular types available. Later, as trade routes opened up toward the West, rice wine made its way into the growing cultures in India and the surrounding areas. Here, rice wine evolved over the years, and today many places have their own form.

Production

Rice wine is made less like grape wine and instead brewed in a fashion similar to beer. Rice is boiled, cooled and then set into a vat. When enough rice has been made, a layer of yeast is set over it. In sake production, the Aspergillus oryzae yeast mold is used. The yeast mixes with the starches in the rice, causing an acidic reaction that created sugar. The yeasts that grow then devour the sugar and convert it into alcohol. Rice wine is usually allowed to sit for at least 6 months before it is bottled and sold.

Alcohol Content

Rice wine has the highest alcohol content, on average, of all the fermented beverages. Beer, which is lower on this totem pole, has an alcohol content of 3 to 8 percent. Grape wine is 10 to 20 percent alcohol on average. Rice wine, on the other hand, runs between 18 and 25 percent alcohol. This is 36 to 50 proof.

Types

There are many kinds of rice wine. They depend on the region they are made, as well as the particular texture and taste they obtain after being brewed. Sake is the traditional Japanese rice wine. Amazake, also from Japan, is brewed so that it is less alcoholic. Choujiu is a rice wine from China that is thick and milky because of the yeast left inside of it. Makkoli is similar, but thinner. It originates from Korea. These are only a few of the different types of rice wines, with others having various mixtures involving thickness, cloudiness and sweetness.

Warning

As with all alcoholic beverages, it is important to limit your intake of rice wine per sitting. Because rice wine has a higher alcohol percentage than grape wine, less needs to be drunk to get the same amount of alcohol in your system. Never operate a vehicle under the influence of rice wine, and do your best to know your personal limits. Drinking too much can cause temporary brain damage, loss of nervous system functions and possible paralysis or death.

Resources

• Difference between rice wine and rice vinegar