With the recent growth of sake connoisseurship in the United States, it has become almost common knowledge that premium sakes should be served slightly chilled. This does, however, give rise to the question of where our earlier penchant for warm sake came from, and indeed, if ever there is a time where the heating of the drink is appropriate.
Apartial answer, at least, comes courtesy of sake expert John Gauntner, author of several books on sake and publisher of the Tokyo-based website, www.sakeworld.com. In a recent e-mail newsletter, Gauntner reiterates his frequently voiced opinion that some sakes, even premium ones, can be very enjoyable when served warm, describing them as "little time bombs of immense enjoy-ability and untellable charm."
Further, Gauntner notes that the warm-sake habit may have come from China, where "putting warm things into one's body is generally considered better than putting cold things into it," and cites historical records, which show that, during the Heian era of 794-1192, warmed sake was traditionally consumed between the ninth day of the ninth month and the third day of the third month, or in other words, the cooler weeks between Sept. 9 and March 3. For the remainder of the year, cool sake was enjoyed.