Sales of premium sake are surging. So is tourism to Japan. The latter fuels the former in part, but the ‘renaissance of quality’ among many breweries is the real reason for sake’s newfound success. Certain retailers deserve credit, too. For the right retailers, the market is rich with opportunity. But what makes the right retailer?…
(photo: the lab at Dassai) In our last issue (ST#17) we looked at the choice of yeast in sake brewing. That article covered how much yeast contributes to aromas–more so, in fact, than just about anything else in the sake brewing process. We also talked about the main sources for yeast available to sake…
photo: Kaetsu Shuzô president Shunichi Satô with yeast (in solution) text: by John Gauntner A sake’s aroma might be described as its kanban-musume, a term that refers to a charming young woman that attracts the attention of passers-by and draws potential customers into a store on a busy shopping street. This is especially the case…
Kimoto and yamahai styles of sake seem to have something of a cult status among sake fans. This may be attributable to the fact that they are somewhat rare, or perhaps that so few people actually know what they are and what makes them special. But that veil of mystery is not necessary; you can…
(Kazuhiro Sakurai, holding a bottle of Dassai 23) Successful companies rise to greatness through leadership. Without it, talent too readily loses focus. Company culture struggles to find identity. Work becomes mere motion, not a source of inspiration that fuels itself in a virtuous circle, leading to meaningful products and services. Dassai is quite possibly…
2017 marks the 350th anniversary of the Yoshidamachi area of Yokohama. We thought it would be a good time to introduce this neighborhood located right around the corner from our office. You may even run into our staff there on any given night of the week. Originally a field of rice paddies built on…
Daishichi’s increasingly global fame owes to its ability to accommodate opposites: new technology with traditional techniques, modern marketing with older industry practices, and contemporary flavor trends with ancient styles. The brewery’s success is also tied to its 10th generation owner, Ohta Hideharu, a man who brings to social interactions all the refined formalities you’d expect…
Yoram Ofer is something of the lone wolf with a reputation. People who know of his Kyoto-based bar Yoramu (the Japanese phonetic spelling of his name) sometimes whisper that he is… different. Some in the sake industry consider him a heretic. On hearing rumors of his eccentricity, people might be a little intimidated about going.…
One of the primary forces currently driving the positive state of affairs in the sake world is the emergence of young brewers. The transition from an era in which those who actually brewed sake were farmers who had no work in the winter months and therefore worked for sake breweries only during that time period…
Countryside towns in Japan, while short on residents, never seem to be lacking in folklore or legends. Some are so outlandish, one wonders if sake may have been a major influence in their creation. The small town of Agamachi in Niigata, home to some 11,000 or so residents, has one of the more interesting legends…