Saki

Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 9: Bound to Swansea, p. 101

Saki, a kind of beer which the Japanese make from rice. It is the common alcoholic liquor of Japan. It is clear, and has a peculiar taste, which Europeans generally reckon unpleasant. The Japanese usually heat it before drinking, and pour it into flat cups or saucers of lacquered wood. It produces a very speedy and transient intoxication.

Source scan(s): p. 0112