Koji Clear Non-Alcoholic Rice Koji Drink, 700ml
A modern amazake with the sweetness kept and the cloudy body filtered out, alcohol-free from first sip to last.
Why Chefs Choose This
- Fermented sweetness: koji enzymes break rice starch down into natural sugar, so nothing added tastes like sugar syrup.
- Zero alcohol: pours and serves like sake without an ABV declaration, an age check, or a licence to sell it.
- Clear, not cloudy: a patented filtration step strips out the thick body of homemade amazake, leaving a clean, drinkable finish.
- Menu-ready alternative: stands in wherever a non-alcoholic pairing or mocktail base is needed on a Japanese menu.
How to Use
- Traditional serve: warmed gently, the way amazake is sold hot at shrine stalls and winter festivals across Japan.
- Cold serve: straight from the fridge, closer to a rice-based sports drink than a dessert.
- Mocktail base: replaces sugar syrup in a non-alcoholic cocktail, its sweetness already balanced by natural acidity.
- Kitchen use: stirred through oats, a smoothie, or a glaze where a rounder, fermented sweetness beats refined sugar.
Kōji (麹) is the mould that drives Japanese fermentation, converting grain starch to sugar and protein to amino acids. Aspergillus oryzae, the yellow koji strain, was named Japan's "national fungus" in 2006. Koji Clear points that same organism at one job: amazake, literally "sweet sake" (甘酒), the fermented rice drink Japan has served hot and cold for generations, minus the cloudy body and minus the alcohol its kanji promises but doesn't contain. Made in Akita Prefecture using a patented process built from over two hundred recipe trials, it blends ame-koji (the strain used for ginjo sake) with the sour white koji used in shochu production, then filters the result to a clear, thin-bodied finish.
Learn more: What is Kōji?
What does Koji Clear taste like?
First impression is closer to a rice-based sports drink than a traditional amazake: thin-bodied and clear rather than cloudy, with a faint effervescent lift even though it isn't carbonated. The sweetness is entirely fermentation-driven, rice starch broken down by koji enzymes into natural sugar, so it reads rounder and less sharp than anything sweetened with sugar. A clean, fruit-like acidity balances it out, the same citric acid that koji produces in shochu mash, which keeps it refreshing rather than syrupy. No alcohol warmth, no rice-wine bite. Just a light, cold or gently warmed drink at around 59 calories per 100ml.
| Type | Amazake-style fermented rice drink (甘酒, literally "sweet sake"), non-alcoholic |
| Brand | Koji Clear, made by Akita Seishu Co. |
| Key Feature | Patented clear-filtration fermentation process (Patent No. 7223463), developed over 200 recipe trials |
| Origin | Akita Prefecture, Japan |
| Net Volume / Format | 700ml bottle |
| Best Used As | Chilled or warmed rice drink, non-alcoholic cocktail base, natural sweetener for smoothies and oats |
Is Koji Clear alcoholic?
No. Despite amazake's kanji (甘酒) literally translating as "sweet sake", neither traditional amazake nor Koji Clear contains meaningful alcohol. The sweetness and body come from koji enzymes breaking rice starch down into sugar during fermentation, not from a brewing step that produces alcohol. It's safe to serve to drivers, children, or anyone avoiding alcohol, and needs no age check or licence to sell.
What's the difference between Koji Clear and traditional amazake?
Traditional amazake is thick, pale and usually made at home by soaking rice koji in warm water overnight. Koji Clear uses a patented fermentation process, developed over more than 200 recipe trials, that filters the result down to a clear, thin-bodied drink closer to a rice-based sports drink than a spoonable porridge. Same fermentation principle, a different finish.
How should I serve Koji Clear?
Drink it cold from the fridge for a refreshing rice drink, or warm it gently on the stove for the traditional hot amazake serve found at winter festivals and shrine stalls across Japan. It also works as a non-alcoholic mocktail base, or stirred through porridge, oats or a smoothie for natural sweetness without added sugar.
SKU : S3100