Sake is an industry focused on consistency to a considerable degree. By comparison, craft beer is increasingly characterized by one-offs, iterations, and seasonals. Flagship brands struggle for sustained attention. It’s not that craft beer brewers don’t want consistency; they simply have other prerogatives and variables at play. Part of the intrigue of wine, meanwhile, is…
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…
What brings you sake enjoyment? Is it simply drinking it? Is it about where, how, and with whom you drink sake? Most people probably prefer imbibing at a Japanese restaurant. The common conviction that it’s an integral part of the Japanese dining experience is strong (and not misguided). We at Sake Today certainly enjoy it…
We’ve been watching the momentum of single-serving (“one-cup”) sake formats in America for some time now, occasionally commenting on it in the magazine and in our social media. We’ve always thought these had a lot of promise and now it seems they’ve crossed the chasm and are gaining significant uptake among consumers. One candidate for…
Japan operates on its own timeline. Literally. It counts years according to the reigns of emperors, not the Gregorian calendar. As you read this, it’s year three of the Reiwa era. Even Japanese have trouble converting between the two calendars. It will be easy for those of us who have lived through the pandemic to…
Nada, the hallowed sake producing district in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, is home to a handful of world-class breweries, Hakutsuru being perhaps the most notable. We featured this brewery in great detail in Sake Today 23. Since its founder, Jihei Kanô, got started in 1743 the brewery has built its reputation on innovation and blockbuster products.…
Sake heavyweight Ozeki, based in Japan’s sake mecca of Nada, made a powerful statement earlier this year with the release of a new product: the One Love, One Cup. With a rainbow label and the tagline, “We celebrate diversity”, the product was an expression of support for the LGBTQ community in Japan and abroad. It’s…