Beer as an alcoholic beverage originated in Europe, somewhere in the area of what is now Germany and Belgium.  However, this treat quickly spread to Africa, the Americas, and even Asia!  Now, there are many different variations of beer, each of them taking on characteristics of the country in which they were made.  One common Asian variation of Brewing Beer is brewing rice beer.  Rice beer, also known as sake, originated in Japan and is a very popular alcoholic beverage there, and its popularity has grown!  Just as the original beer spread from country to country, brewing rice beer is becoming more and more popular in different countries around the world.

The Early Years Of Sake

Brewing rice beer was not always the way it was made.  Rice beer was originally made by chewing the rice, and then spitting the mixture into a tub.  The enzymes found in the saliva allowed the starches in the rice to be converted into sugar.  After being combined with freshly cooked grain, the mixture would ferment, resulting in sake with very low alcohol content.

Sake Today

As technology improved, the chewing of rice was no longer necessary, and became to be considered unsanitary.  Now, there is a process for brewing rice beer.  First, rice is milled in order to remove the oils and protein from the rice.  This leaves behind only the starch.  The more thorough the milling process is, the more desirable the final product will be.

The reaming starch is then converted into sugar by enzymes, and the sugar is converted into alcohol using yeast.  The two different fermentation processes involved in the rice Beer Brewing process mean that multiple fermentation is used in the brewing of rice beer.

Better Than Beer?

How is rice beer better than or different than regular beer?  One of the main differences is where the enzymes that convert starch to sugar come from.  When brewing rice beer, these enzymes come form a mold called koji.  However, when brewing regular beer, these enzymes come from malt.  While both rice Beer Brewing and regular Beer Brewing involve multiple fermentation, it is only in the brewing of rice Beer Brewing that these processes can occur simultaneously.

Trying Something New

Beer is now one of the most popular beverages around, and it is easy to find just about anywhere you go.  But why not give rice beer a try—it is simply another country’s variation on a well-loved classic.

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