What is Junmai Ginjo?

If you've ever wondered what to order from a sake list, Junmai Ginjo is a great answer. It sits in the sweet spot of premium sake: refined and aromatic, but still full of character. Both WESAKE sakes are Junmai Ginjo, so it's a style we know well.

What the name means

The name is two words, and each one tells you something.

Junmai means "pure rice." The sake is made only from rice, water, koji, and yeast, with no distilled alcohol added. Learn more in what is Junmai sake.

Ginjo means the rice was polished to 60% or less of its original size before brewing, and that the sake was fermented cold and slow. Polishing removes the outer layers of the grain, and the slow, cool fermentation brings out fruity and floral aromas.

Put them together and Junmai Ginjo is a pure rice sake made with highly polished rice and Ginjo-style brewing. Our polishing ratio guide shows what 60% looks like.

What Junmai Ginjo tastes like

Junmai Ginjo is usually clean and smooth, with a gentle body and a refined finish. Common notes include:

• Fruit: melon, pear, apple, white peach, sometimes banana
• Flowers: white blossom and soft floral notes
• Rice: a light, clean steamed rice character underneath
• Umami: a soft, savory roundness in the middle

Because it has no added alcohol, Junmai Ginjo often has a little more body and umami than a straight Ginjo, while still being lighter and more aromatic than many Junmai sakes. Some drink dry and crisp, others softer and fruitier. The sake meter value on the label gives you a hint, see sake meter value.

How it's made

Junmai Ginjo follows the usual sake process, with a few careful choices along the way:

1. Highly polished rice. At least 40% of each grain is milled away.
2. Careful koji. Brewers grow koji that converts starch steadily, without overwhelming the delicate aromas.
3. Cold, slow fermentation. The main mash is kept cool for several weeks, so the yeast works slowly and creates fragrant aroma compounds.
4. No added alcohol. Unlike Ginjo, the sake is made only from rice, water, koji, and yeast.

For every step from rice to bottle, read how sake is made.

Junmai Ginjo vs other grades

Grade	Rice polished to	Added alcohol
Junmai	No minimum (shown on label)	None
Junmai Ginjo	60% or less	None
Junmai Daiginjo	50% or less	None
Ginjo	60% or less	A little
Honjozo	70% or less	A little

Junmai Ginjo vs Junmai Daiginjo: Daiginjo rice is polished further, to 50% or less. It's often lighter and more perfumed. Junmai Ginjo usually has a bit more body and flavor.

Junmai Ginjo vs Ginjo: both use rice polished to 60% or less. Ginjo adds a little distilled alcohol, which can make it lighter and more aromatic. Junmai Ginjo skips it and tends to be a touch rounder.

Junmai Ginjo vs Junmai: Junmai has no polishing minimum and is often fuller and more savory. Junmai Ginjo is more refined and aromatic.

For the full chart, see the types of sake.

How to serve Junmai Ginjo

Chill it. Junmai Ginjo is usually best cold, around 5 to 15°C (41 to 59°F), straight from the fridge or a few minutes after. Warming it can mute its aromas. Our hot or cold guide has the full temperature chart.

Pick a glass that shows off the aroma. A white wine glass is great. A small ceramic cup is traditional. And if it's in a can, drinking it straight from the can is fine too.

Sip and enjoy it at your own pace. Junmai Ginjo is made to be savored, the same way you'd enjoy a glass of wine.

Drink it fresh. Like most sake, it's not meant for aging. Keep it cool and dark before opening and cold after. See how long sake lasts.

What to eat with Junmai Ginjo

Its clean profile and gentle umami make Junmai Ginjo one of the most food-friendly sakes. Try it with sushi and sashimi, oysters, ceviche and crudo, tacos with lime, fried chicken, tempura, light pasta, and soft cheeses. More ideas in our sake food pairing guide.

WESAKE's two Junmai Ginjos

The can. WESAKE Junmai Ginjo is brewed by Kaganoi Shuzo in Itoigawa, Niigata, from Gohyakumangoku rice polished to 60% and local well water. It's dry and light, with soft umami and a crisp, clean finish. 180 mL, 12% ABV, SMV -1, acidity 1.3. Meet the can.

The Sakura bottle. WESAKE Sakura Junmai Ginjo is its own sake, brewed in Kobe with Yamada Nishiki rice polished to 60%. It's elegantly dry, with soft floral aromas and notes of white peach and pear. 720 mL, 14.5% ABV, SMV +5, acidity 1.5. Meet the bottle.

New to sake overall? Start with the complete guide to sake.