In response to growing criticism, the government began to seek other quality-focused classification system to replace the Classification of Sake in the Liquor Tax Act, and in 1990, introduced a new sake classification composed of nine different class names such as 'Futsushu (standard sake)' and 'Tokutei meishoshu (special designation sake),' which was tentatively utilized in combination with the traditional classification system in the earliest years.
批判が高まってきたのを受けて、政府は日本酒級別制度に替わりうる品質本位の分類体系を模索し始め、平成2年（1990年）から「普通酒」「特定名称酒」など9種類の名称からなる日本酒分類を導入し、当初は旧来の級別制度と暫定的に併用した。