Aside from its high amounts of sugar, mirin also has low amounts of alcohol. While there's little risk of overloading on alcohol from mirin, using this condiment too much can have severe repercussions on your health. These are both very valid reasons to use this condiment in moderation.
What is the difference between rice vinegar and mirin? Mirin is a sweet cooking wine made by fermenting rice. ... It is almost exclusively used for cooking. Rice wine with a higher alcoholic content is called sake, and can be used for cooking also, but is usually made to be drunk.