Rice wine is a clear wine made from fermented rice, and is known for its strong, unique taste. It’s often used in East Asian cooking and is a good substitute for sweet mirin or sake, but it also can be enjoyed straight from the glass. Making rice wine involves only two ingredients and a good amount of patience as it ferments. You will be rewarded with a wine that is as delicious as it is versatile. Rice wine, not to be confused with rice vinegar, is a beverage particular to different parts of Asia; the signature taste of Asian rice wine is a sweet, aromatic infusion made from the fermentation of glutinous rice into alcohol. Yeast helps to ferment the sugars present in the rice to make it alcoholic and oh, so delicious! The world is more connected than ever and it doesn’t come as a surprise that people from different countries are quite taken with Asian food, culture, and tradition – and rice wine is no exception. It is used extensively in Asian cooking and as an accompaniment to daily meals enjoyed with family, friends, and colleagues. Available in various forms, milky or clear distilled wine, rice wine is high in alcohol content (18-20%), so be wary, and enjoy responsibly.