(L to R) Japanese Ambassador Reiichiro Takahashi, Asia Society President Josette Sheeran, and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy prepare to break open a sake barrel in a traditional Japanese ...

SAPPORO--Hokkaido-based breweries are rallying to a call to produce a common brand of Japanese sake and taking things a step further by aging the product in barrels made of Japanese oak.

When it comes to pairing sake with barbequed steak, your best bet is a mature, barrel-aged expression. Sake can be aged in a few different ways. Like wine, it can be aged in the bottle or a metal ...