SAKE  , the

national beverage of Japan . In character it stands midway between beer and wine . It is made chiefly from rice (see BREWING) . Sake contains 12 to 15% of alcohol and about 3% of solid matter (extractives), 0.3% of lactic 54 acid, a small quantity of volatile acid, 0.5% of sugar and o•8 % of glycerin . There are about 20,000 sake breweries in Japan, and the annual output is about 15o million gallons . Sake is a yellowish-white liquid, its flavour somewhat resembling that of madeira or sherry . It is warmed prior to consumption, as the flavour is thereby improved and it is rendered more digestible . The name is said to be derived from the town of Osaka which, from time immemorial, has been famous for its sake . According to Morewood it is probable that the wine called " sack " in England derived its name from the Japanese liquor, being introduced by Spanish and Portuguese traders (see WINE) .