I was in a hotel in Ichinoseki, Iwate when the 7.1 earthquake hit not far to the southeast off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture. It was an aftershock of the 9.1 earthquake that had struck a few weeks earlier on March 11th, 2011. Water in the bathtub which was filling at the time sloshed around…
This warm prefecture that stretches across the southern coast of Shikoku might not seem like the ideal location to brew sake, yet Kochi’s 18 breweries churn out an impressive number of surprisingly light and dry varieties. With a distinctly different vibe from the more in-your-face profiles of most sake from western Japan, the dry and…
Keith Norum is one of the more youthful sixty-year-olds you’ll meet, even in a country where so many people seem youthful in the later decades of their lives. He looks younger than his years, there’s vitality in his voice and expressions, and he gives every indication he’s eager to continue with his busy work in…
Waking up in an unfamiliar place is a rush to the senses. In the right context, that stimulation to the brain can even manifest as a sensation, like a warm tingle of pleasure washing across your body. This description certainly doesn’t refer to the disorienting experience of unexpectedly waking up somewhere unfamiliar–like in a hospital…
(Marina Giordano pictured at center; article by Alessandra Polina) Sake is a unique, complex beverage in which interest in the United States has grown over the past few years, but it is still widely misunderstood. Marina Giordano, a sake expert and educator, has made it her mission to demystify the world of sake and get…
By Charlene Peters Beer and pizza. Wine and pizza. But sake and pizza? If there was one person qualified to justify the combination of sake with pizza, it would be Marina Giordano, sake educator at Commonwealth Wine School in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Marina holds a WSET certification as a Sake Educator with a WSET…
Sake, shochu, and awamori are Japan’s three traditional alcoholic beverages. In Japanese, they are collectively called kokushu, which literally translates to “national alcoholic beverages”. They have common roots but are quite distinct from one another. Each offers unique flavors and intriguing possibilities for enjoyment, especially when it comes to pairing. All three are also attracting…
Awamori, a distilled beverage native to Okinawa, is in the dawn of a possible renaissance. This past year, we took an extensive tour of many distilleries located on Japan’s southern islands and the experience was enlightening. As fans of indigenous beverages around the world seek out new things to imbibe, we think awamori may catch…
Japan is a paradise of artisanal products and that of course includes beverages. One of its most overlooked outside of Japan, despite production and popularity nationwide, is shochu. It’s a distilled cousin of sake and–its fans would argue–just as versatile and enjoyable. First, shochu is only made in Japan. In this age of global beverages,…
Sake is Japan’s most famous indigenous alcoholic beverage and its popularity is growing around the world, as evidenced by booming exports and also the appearance of dozens of overseas breweries in North America, Europe, and even New Zealand. Geography, however, introduces an important point before we take you into the basics of sake. Another word…