Rice Wine (Nihonshu or Sake) (more details)
Rice wine, commonly known as nihonshu or sake (sake also being used as a general term for alcohol), is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting rice. Sake comes in several varieties and may be served hot or cold. It is not traditionally drunk together with rice dishes as it is considered to be rice itself. Produced in a similar way, mirin is a sweet rice wine that is widely used in cooking.