Many people want to reduce their consumption of animal products, be it for health, social or environmental reasons. Vegetarian and vegan cafes and even high-class restaurants are popping up in cities all over Europe. But in wine and beer production, animal products are often used as clarification agents, although the main ingredients are otherwise vegan. How about sake then?

The short answer is yes, most sake is vegan. Sake is made with water, rice, yeast and koji (a fungus whose enzymes can convert starch into sugar); there are no animal-derived ingredients used in the brewing process. Fining is normally done with active charcoal and not with egg whites like in wine, so there should be no problem either. But finding a certified vegan sake might be more difficult.

With increased exports, that seems about to change. In January 2019, Nanbu Bijin from Iwate Prefecture was the first brewery to become certified vegan, both in Japan (through NPO Vege Project) and by The Vegan Society in the UK. All of their sake can now bear the ‘Vegan’ mark.

As the brewery explains in a press release: “In overseas luxury markets, healthy, natural and additive-free products such as ‘bio’ and ‘non-GMO’ items are becoming more popular. Bio wines enjoy a large market share worldwide. There are many vegan-certificated foods, but alcohol with vegan certification is still rare.” By introducing certified vegan sake they want to provide a safe option to people in this market.

Recently, the Nagai Sake Brewery in Gunma, that produces a popular sparkling sake under the brand name Mizubasho, has also announced that they have obtained a vegan certification for four of their flagship products and the Artist Series.

They expect an increased interest in Japanese sake and food in connection with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and hope to be able to make their sake more attractive to health-conscious customers from Europe and the US. Gunma Prefecture is already well known for its high-quality vegetables so a vegan-certified sake fits well with the image of the region.

It will be interesting to see, if this becomes a real trend and other breweries will follow, and if labels like these have a noticeable impact on sales, especially in markets outside of Japan.

Edit: As of May 11, 2020, Mutsu Hassen (陸奥八仙) from Hachinohoe Shuzo in Aomori, northern Japan, has also joined the ranks of vegan-certified sake. The brand’s popular tokubetsu junmai has been certified by vegeproject, a Japanese NGO.