Inside Sake · masterclass in the kura, 9 & 10 October — 15 places per session

FAQs

Questions about Kura Wien? Write to [email protected].

We are a small crew and a cellar on Barmherzigengasse, so we answer ourselves — usually within a day or two. If a question below is answered with “details to follow”, it is because we would rather leave it blank than guess.

Our Sake

What is sake, exactly?

A brewed drink made from rice, water, kōji and yeast. Not a spirit, not a wine: kōji converts starch to sugar while the yeast ferments it, both at once, in the same tank. Ours is brewed with Wiener Hochquellwasser – the city’s alpine spring water.

01

What does Junmai mean?

Pure rice. Nothing but water, rice, koji and yeast — no added alcohol, no added sugar.

02

And Namagenshu?

Nama is unpasteurised, genshu is undiluted. Kinshachi 1873 is both: bottled exactly as it comes off the press, at full strength.

03

Why is it a little hazy?

Because we don’t charcoal-filter it. The haze is fine rice particles and yeast — texture and flavour, not a fault.

04

What rice do you use?

Organic Italian rice from Piemonte: Bio-Arborio for Kinshachi 1873, polished to 90%, and Bio-Selenio for Aoshachi. Every batch starts with a rice delivery from Piemonte.

05

Is it vegan? Gluten free?

Yes to both. Water, rice, koji and yeast, and nothing else.

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Serving & Storage

How cold should it be?

Aoshachi at 5–10 °C. Kinshachi 1873 the same, or gently warmed to about 40 °C, which brings the rice sweetness forward.

01

What glass?

A white-wine glass. It gives the aroma room, which a small sake cup does not.

02

How do I store it?

Cool, upright and away from light. Unpasteurised sake keeps changing at room temperature, so the fridge is the right place — including on the way home.

03

How long does it keep?

Best within six months of the bottling date on the label, and within a few days once opened.

04

What food goes with it?

Anything you would open a crisp white for, plus the things wine struggles with: oysters, raw fish, hard cheese, anything grilled.

05

Can I cook with it?

Yes, though it is an expensive way to do it. A splash in a broth or a marinade works beautifully.

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Ordering & Shipping

Where do you ship?

Austria and the EU. All prices include 20% Austrian VAT, and shipping within Austria is free on orders over €90.

01

How is it shipped?

In protective packaging, upright. Unpasteurised sake travels best when it is cool, so we avoid shipping in a heatwave.

02

How long does delivery take?

Delivery times are being confirmed and will be published here.

03

Can I buy at the brewery?

Yes. Come by on a Saturday, taste first, and take bottles with you.

04

Do you sell to restaurants?

We do. Write to [email protected] and we will send the trade list. You will also find us at Augora Fermente in Vienna and at Sake36 in Berlin.

05

Payment methods?

Details to follow.

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Visiting the Kura

Can I see the brewery?

Yes, on Saturdays. Small groups, no hurry: the koji room, the tanks, the rice, and a taste of everything that is ready.

01

Do I need to book?

Yes – write to [email protected]. We also run INSIDE SAKE, a two-hour masterclass in the kura during Sake Week Vienna: fifteen places per session, €39 early bird and €59 after.

02

Where are you?

Barmherzigengasse 10, 1030 Vienna – in the third district, a few minutes from Rochusmarkt.

03

Is there a fee?

A tasting at the kura is free for small groups. The INSIDE SAKE masterclass is €39 early bird, €59 after – two hours, everything poured, and a look behind the tanks.

04

Can I come with a group?

Write to [email protected] and we will find a time.

05

Is it accessible?

Details to follow.

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Returns & Refunds

Something arrived broken.

Write to [email protected] with a photo and we will replace it.

01

Can I return an unopened bottle?

Return conditions are being confirmed and will be published here.

02

I don’t like it.

Tell us why. We are a small brewery and we would rather hear it than not.

03

Wrong item delivered?

Write to [email protected] and we will sort it out.

04

Who do I contact?

[email protected] for anything at all. We answer within a day or two.

05

Age verification?

Sake contains alcohol. We sell only to people aged 18 and over.

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