"Enjoying Drinking Occasions, But Disliking Excess: Why Sake Is Rising in Popularity"

Prioritizing the Experience of Drinking Occasions Over the Act of Drinking
Rising Responses Each Year: "Drink as Moderately as Possible"
Beer and Soju Remain Dominant... Growing Preference for Sake

The majority of alcoholic beverage consumers recognize the positive role of drinking, while simultaneously maintaining a cautious attitude toward excessive drinking. Beer and soju remain the overwhelmingly preferred types of alcohol, but interest in the Japanese alcoholic beverage 'sake' is also on the rise.

According to a '2025 Alcohol Consumption Survey' conducted by market research company Embrain on July 19, 2025, targeting 1,000 men and women aged 19 to 59 nationwide, 88.4% of all respondents agreed that "alcohol helps build intimacy." Additionally, 87.8% stated that "alcohol creates a pleasant atmosphere." These results suggest that people believe drinking plays an effective role in narrowing the distance in relationships and fostering a sense of empathy.

Furthermore, there was a high level of agreement with the statement "alcohol helps relieve stress" (67.3%). When asked about the reasons for drinking, many cited "the atmosphere of the drinking occasion" (38.8%), "enjoying the feeling of being tipsy" (33.5%), and "to relieve stress" (33.1%). This indicates a tendency to value the experience of sharing a drinking occasion?such as refreshing emotions accumulated in daily life through conversation and atmosphere?over the act of drinking itself.

However, the perception that "alcohol should be consumed as moderately as possible" has steadily increased each year, from 52.0% in 2021 to 58.9% in 2023, and to 62.9% this year. The response rate for "Korea's drinking culture tends to involve excessive drinking" was also high at 78.6%. This shows that while people enjoy drinking, there is an increasing awareness of the need for caution and moderation regarding excessive alcohol consumption.

In particular, among younger age groups, a relatively high proportion responded that they would prefer if their family (20s: 51.2%, 30s: 41.6%, 40s: 36.0%, 50s: 43.6%) or close acquaintances (20s: 32.8%, 30s: 24.4%, 40s: 20.8%, 50s: 20.8%) did not enjoy drinking. The level of agreement with the positive functions of alcohol was lower among younger generations compared to older ones. It appears likely that the "Sober Life" trend?enjoying moderate amounts of alcohol instead of excessive drinking?will continue to spread, particularly among younger generations.

Meanwhile, beer (69.3%, multiple responses allowed) and regular soju (52.5%) were the most frequently mentioned preferred types of alcohol. However, while the preference for beer decreased from 76.3% in 2023 to 69.3% this year, the preference for soju, which is relatively inexpensive, increased from 49.0% to 52.5% over the same period. Notably, the preference for Japanese sake more than doubled, rising from 5.7% to 13.6%.

In particular, demand for sake has increased to the point where 7 out of 10 respondents (69.7%) reported having tried sake within the past three months. Sake also recorded its highest-ever import volume last year. The growing popularity of sake has been attributed to the increase in Japanese restaurants and izakayas (41.2%, multiple responses allowed), as well as a rise in overseas travel to Japan, which has led to more people repurchasing sake after experiencing it locally (28.4%). Among those who have purchased sake (51.7%), the highest proportion bought it while traveling in Japan (43.3%), with this trend being especially pronounced among people in their 20s and 30s.

This reflects the characteristics of younger generations, who place a high value on food and beverage experiences while traveling. Additionally, these generations expressed relatively high favorability toward the "visual appeal" and "luxurious image" of sake. As a significant proportion of all respondents expressed willingness to try sake in the future (74.3%), the presence of sake in the alcoholic beverage market is expected to grow even further.