Three years since I started drinking sake. And here’s what I’ve learned after those three years. One: sake is delicious. Two: sake is not good for your body. And here’s what I’ve learned now that I’ve turned thirty. One: a hangover doesn’t just affect you the morning after — at its worst, it can linger for up to a week.

Take someone who wakes up every morning at seven. If they’ve had too much to drink and get up still hungover, they can’t do what they’re supposed to do, and the rest of their routine falls apart with it. At work, concentration goes. 

The mind feels like it’s wrapped in fog — creativity, imagination, consistency, focus, all of it takes a hit compared to when you’re feeling your best. Even keeping a positive outlook on the world takes more effort than usual. 

For someone who does something consistently every day, a hangover becomes the perfect excuse to tell yourself, “just one day off won’t hurt.” (Morning gym sessions, runs, reading — take your pick.) 

That one missed day carries a quietly enormous risk: it can fracture your consistency entirely. If your body is already used to it, the damage may be minimal. But for someone who has just made a commitment, there is no poison more lethal than an unplanned day or two of carelessness. 

And heavy drinking — especially the hangover and sleep deprivation that follow — acts as a powerful catalyst that brings that poison to life.

That said, giving up alcohol entirely isn’t the answer. Alcohol has the power to shift the mood of a room. 

It eases tension. It plays the role of a side dish, drawing out more flavor from the food alongside it. (As I always say — this is about drinking just enough that it doesn’t affect you the next day.) 

So I believe that what you truly need to enjoy sake at its best — both deliciously and healthily — is self-discipline. And that’s exactly what I want to talk about today: self-discipline when it comes to sake.