Would you like a drink? お酒(おさけ)はいかが？

Any kind of alcoholic drink is called 酒(さけ). However, it sometimes refers to Japanese sake especially.

酒(さけ) is wine or alcoholic drink, especially Japanese SAKE.

The following drinks are popular in Japan. Which do you like best?

ビール

Beer. If you write it in a kanji, it’s 麦酒(むぎしゅ), which literally means ‘barley wine’ because 麦(むぎ) means barley or wheat.

Many 焼き鳥(やきとり) bars in a narrow street in 新宿(しんじゅく)

ワイン

赤(あか)ワイン is red wine; 白(しろ)ワイン white wine, which is made from the juice of grapes. It’s also called 葡萄(ぶどう)酒(しゅ). 葡萄(ぶどう) is grape.

焼酎(しょうちゅう)

It’s distilled drinks like whiskey, made from rice, barley, sweet potato, buckwheat, etc.

Most of all 居酒屋 (いざかや) will serve レモンサワー .

サワー

If you add various kind of fruit juice and soda to 焼酎(しょうちゅう), it’s called サワー or 酎(ちゅう)ハイ. However, canned 酎(ちゅう)ハイ sold in stores are made of vodka, not of 焼酎(しょうちゅう). I don’t know why.

ウィスキー

Whiskey. ハイボール (highball: whiskey and soda) is also popular.

日本酒(にほんしゅ)

It’s fermented liquor like beer and wine, but it’s made from rice. It’s sometimes called just 酒(さけ).

Let’s see several expressions using 酒(さけ).

Japanese sake can be served cold, warm, or at room tempreture.

酒に呑まれる(さけに のまれる)

It is not an active expression like 'you drink,' but a passive one just like 'you are drunk by wine.' This is a condition or an attitude everybody disapproves of.

When you get drunk, you’ll usually called 酔っ払い(よっぱらい), which may be less drunk than 酒(さけ)に呑まれる(のまれる).

As everybody doesn’t like such drunken persons, we have a saying:

酒(さけ)は飲む(のむ)とも飲まれる(のまれる)な。

You can drink but never get drunk by wine.

The guy nex to her may be: 酒に呑まれている(さけにのまれている)

If you always drink like 酒に呑まれる, you'll be called:

酒癖が悪い(さけぐせが わるい)

That'll include a rude attitude, bad language, and bellicosity.

「あいつは飲みすぎる(のみすぎる)と酒癖(さけぐせ)が悪く(わるく)なる。」

When he drinks too much, he becomes moody and quarrelsome.

If you get worse and start to fight, then you’ll be called:

酒乱(しゅらん)

Such persons are never welcomed.

「彼(かれ)は酒乱(しゅらん)だから余り(あまり)飲ませない(のませない)方(ほう)がいい。」

Don’t let him drink too much because he’s easy to fight when he gets drunk.

彼女(かのじょ)は結構(けっこう)酒好き(さけずき)かも知れ(しれ)ません。

If you drink every day, you may be called:

酒好き(さけずき)

酒好き is a person who likes drinking.

「彼女(かのじょ)は結構(けっこう)酒好き(さけずき)だよ。」

She really loves drinking.

「酒浸り(さけびたり)」

is not good at all because it’s a situation where you drink 24/7 and are always drunk. You do so usually because you had so hard times that you wanted to escape from reality borrowing the power of alcohol.

酒浸り(さけびたり)です。

「彼(かれ)は女房(にょうぼう)と別れた(わかれた)日(ひ)から酒浸り(さけびたり)の生活(せいかつ)が続いて(つづいて)いる。」

He has been drinking solidly (has been soaked in alcohol) since the day he was divorced from his wife.

飲酒運転(いんしゅ うんてん) is DWI (driving while intoxicated).

I wish such drivers were eradicated.

「飲酒(いんしゅ)運転(うんてん)による悲惨(ひさん)な事故(じこ)が後(あと)を絶たない(たたない)。」

Tragic accidents due to drunken driving still happen.

甘酒(あまざけ) is a sweet drink and isn’t a alcoholic drink. It’s made from sticky rice and looks like rice porridge.

酒豪(しゅごう) is a heavy drinker.

It does not imply that the person always drinks. When he/she drinks, he/she drinks a lot but don’t get drunk.

Fall is a good season for Japanese sake 日本酒(にほんしゅ).

酒(さけ)に強い(つよい) is also a heavy drinker.

But 酒豪(しゅごう) is felt heavier.

The opposite is 酒(さけ)に弱い(よわい).

「私(わたし)はお酒(おさけ)に弱い(よわい)ので、一杯(いっぱい)だけで失礼(しつれい)します。」

As I get drunk easily, I wouldn’t take more than two glasses.

If you do not drink at all, you’ll be called: 下戸(げこ).

「私(わたし)は下戸(げこ)です。」

I don’t drink at all.

The opposite is 上戸(じょうご).

She may be 笑い上戸(わらいじょうご).

Some people laugh much when they drink. Such people is called

笑い上戸(わらいじょうご).

Others cry suddenly.

They’re 泣き上戸(なきじょうご).

「彼女(かのじょ)は笑い上戸(わらいじょうご)なの知って(しって)いる？」

Do you know she laughs much when she drinks?

We always say 「乾杯」(かんぱい) or 「かんぱーい」 and raise your glass when we start to drink.

楽しく(たのしく)飲み(のみ)ましょう。かんぱーい!

The best thing is to drink merrily. Cheers!

乾杯（かんぱい）！