SPC Syllabus

Sake Professional Course Live Online Syllabus
Syllabus and Daily Schedule
“No Sake Stone Remains Left Unturned!”

Here is the syllabus for the Sake Professional Course Live Online programs, held on five consecutive weekend days. 

Day I
Sake Basics, Sake Types, Terms found on Sake Labels
Day II
Sake Brewing, Rice Types, Yeast Types, Water, Koji
Day III 
Chemistry: nihonshu-do, acidity; Yamahai and Kimoto, Nama-zake (unpasteurized sake), Pressing Methods.
Day IV
Aging and maturity. Non-standard sake types like nigori, low alcohol sake, sparkling sake, red sake, & taruzake. Sake competitions. Vessels / Glassware, Temperature, Toji Guilds, Odds and Ends.
Day V 
Sake Regionality, Sake & Food, History, The State of the Sake Industry.
Online Testing Day Testing is held online on the Saturday following the last day of the course.

Below is the general syllabus and flow and schedule of the three-day program. This is also the schedule for the first three days of the Japan-based five-day program, with the remaining two days being brewery visits.

Day I
9:00 – 12:00 Welcome, Orientation, Sake Basics, Sake Types, Reading Labels
Tasting I: typical representatives of various grades, milling rates
1:00 – 3:00 Sake Production
3:00 – 5:00  Rice Types, Yeast Types
Tasting II: Rice types, Yeast types

Day II
9:00 to 12:00 Water, Koji, Sake Chemistry: nihonshu-do, acidity, et cetera. Yamahai and Kimoto, Nama-zake and its variations.
Tasting III: Yamahai and Kimoto, Nama-zake.
12:00 to 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 5:00  Pressing methods. Aging, Maturity and Vintage (or the lack thereof), Nigori, Low Alcohol Sake, Sparkling Sake, Red Sake, Toji guilds, Temperature, Vessels, Contests
Tasting IV: Nama-zake, shinshu et al, aged sake, mature sake, over the hill sake, low alcohol sake, sparkling sake, red sake. One sake in several vessels, warm sake.

Day III
9:00 – 12:00 Regionality, Sake and Food, State of the Industry, Q&A
12:00- 1:00 Lunch
Tasting V: Typical Regional Representatives.
1:00 – 3:00 Break
3:00 – 5:00 Exam

In Japan, the course continues with Day IV and Day V, which are brewery visits.