The origins of sake date back to the third century BC. BC - that's when a fermented rice drink came from China to Japan. Since then, this unique alcoholic drink has been continually refined. It is of great cultural importance to the Japanese people. Even though sake is made solely from rice, there is – like our wines – a wide range of different flavors. There are more than 2,700 sake breweries across Japan, and each brewery uses a different type of rice, a different type of yeast (koji mold), and different water (spring water, melt water, or filtered water) for its own unique brewing method. Additionally, each region of Japan where sake is produced has its own unique characteristics that add even more complexity to the world of sake.