Sake has come a long way from the days when it was internationally — and crudely — known as "rice wine." In recent years, sake has been the star of two documentaries, as well as a TV series on Amazon. Sommeliers and chefs around the world are making room for nihonshu — as it is called in Japanese — on their menus, and everyone from noted wine enthusiasts to DJs and soccer stars want a piece of the sake buzz.

While the glamour helps raise the profile of sake both in Japan and around the world, perhaps more significant is the educational infrastructure that has grown up around the drink. While it's been ad hoc in its development, at least in foreign languages, the emergence of several different schools has enabled sake enthusiasts to learn more about sake culture and allowed them to establish networks that are as intimate as a "kanpai," but also span the globe.

There is no universally recognized course or qualification in sake education, rather there are competing schools offering different paths to learning more about sake.