noun
sake tasting; wine tasting
Refers to the act of tasting and evaluating sake or wine, often in a professional or connoisseur context.
彼は利き酒の資格を持っている。
He holds a qualification in sake tasting.
利き酒会でいろいろな日本酒を試した。
I tried various sakes at the sake tasting event.
Abbreviated form of 聞き酒; very rare.
Uses the uncommon kanji 唎; rarely encountered.
試飲 is a general term for tasting any beverage, while 利き酒 specifically refers to the skilled evaluation of sake or wine.
Compound of 利き (kiki, 'effectiveness' or 'testing') and 酒 (sake, 'alcohol'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has long been used in the context of evaluating sake quality.