Sake On Air

Like most all of our listeners, we’re keeping rather close to home these days. The nature of things makes it a bit challenging for the team to gather and record, but on the bright side, it’s given us the time to dig through the archives and finally get around to editing some of our on-the-road interviews that have been gradually piling up over the past several months. Starting this week, we bring you “Sake-On-Air-On-The-Road”! For this week’s show, Big Chris (Hughes) is interviewing Tony Mitchell, brewer at Cambridge’s pioneering Dojima Sake Brewery, in a conversation that took place on location at the brewery while Chris was back in the U.K. during a visit home in 2019. Dojima Sake Brewery’s plans are expansive and ambitious, and that ambition helping to drive the unprecedented model that Dojima is cultivating is palpable when listening to Tony’s passion for his craft and the lifestyle that he’s managed to cultivate around it. In addition to discussing the brewery’s exciting approach to crafting great sake while at the same time creating a cultural hub for Japan’s iconic beverage in the Cambridge countryside, the two also spend time discussing Tony’s days at Wakatakeya Sake Brewery in Fukuoka, and the experience that transformed the course of his life for good. Being on the road and at the brewery, you’ll likely be able to tell that we weren’t able to take advantage of our regular recording equipment. Your understanding is appreciated. If you’d like to help more sake-lovers find the show by reviewing and rating us on Apple Podcasts, it would mean the world to us. You can also send your thoughts and feelings about the show to [email protected], or say “Hi” to the team at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you’re so inclined, we actually have a YouTube channel, as well. Thanks for tuning in everyone.Stay Home & Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week we’re tackling arguably one of the most misunderstood segments of the sake world: Kanzake, often simply referred to as, Hot Sake. For a complex web of reasons, the quality and general nature of hot (or warm) sake is still shrouded in generations of preconception and misconception. However along with an aggressive reexamination of “Why?” in relation to lost practices in food and beverage, kanzake is in the midst of a mini-resurgence, particularly in Japan. Over the past decade, not only the number, but the level of quality and creativity entrenched in dining and drinking establishments throughout Japan has grown dramatically. Even outside of traditional Japanese cuisine or izakaya dining, some of Japan (and the world’s) most lauded genre-bending restaurants have made elements of kanzake service not only a part of their beverage program, but a cornerstone to it.  This week we have Justin Potts, Marie Nagata, Big Chris (Hughes) and Little Chris (Pellegrini) on the mics as we delve into kanzake history, experiences, terminology, service, and heating things up at home. For the already-converted, hopefully you’ll find some hot tips (!) to add to your arsenal. For those still on the fence or for anyone that’s previously been burned (!) by less-than-positive experiences, hopefully you’ll find reason to set out on another expedition of the kanzake landscape. Oh, and there’s a small supplement to this week’s episode over on our YouTube channel, as well! Help more sake-lovers find the show by reviewing and rating us on Apple Podcasts. Let us know what you thought about this or any of our shows to [email protected], or say “Hi” to the team at @sakeonair on  Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you happen to undertake any kanzake experiments at home, please do share the results and photos with us! Take care out there everyone. And don’t forget to Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

To all of our listeners: thank you for your patience. As much as we go out of our way to include awamori as part of the broader shochu conversation, despite many months of listener requests, we have yet to do an entire episode dedicated to Okinawa’s incredible indigenous spirit. Until now! The progenitor of the entire shochu category, the now geographically indicated Ryukyu Awamori has been deeply tied to the lifestyle and culture of the Okinawan people for at least the past 600 years. With only 46 distilleries still officially producing this incredible spirit, awamori is poised to either take over the world with its unmatched depth and character, or gradually get folded into the world of shochu. This week Little Chris, aka Shochu Pro, aka Christopher Pellegrini is joined by Sebastien Lemoine and Justin Potts to go over the basics. What is it? Where did it come from? How is it made? How does it differ from products in the broader “shochu” category? We think awamori is in a position to transform both the demand for, and dialogue, around Japanese spirits. After this week’s episode, we hope you’ll think so too. Let us know what you think of the show by reviewing and rating us on Apple Podcasts. You can send your questions and comments about this or any of our shows to [email protected], or to @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Don’t forget us on YouTube! April is shaping up to be a month of excitement, challenges and experimentation. We hope you’ll continue to join us for the ride. Until then, Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

As promised, we’re coming right back with Part 2 of our exploration into what goes into paving the way for a brand new sake brewery outside of Japan. We continue our conversation with David Joll, owner and head brewer at Queenstown’s, Zenkuro, along with Matthew Shaw, co-owner and head brewer Melbourne Sake, which if all goes according to plan, should be opening its doors in the relatively near future. You have the same SOA crew as last week, with Marie Nagata, Chris Hughes, Justin Potts, and Sebastien Lemoine further digging in to the unique challenges associated with a beverage that has been so hyper localized to a specific region for so long. What are the true essentials for crafting quality sake? What can you not live without? To what degree can you feasibly DIY some decent equipment? What can really only be realized with the support of the people and equipment from Japan? All of that and more as we close out this special two-part series with these inspiring gentlemen. Please do pop over to review and rate us on Apple Podcasts if you find yourself with a free minute, and feel free to send your questions and comments about this or any of our shows to [email protected], or to @sakeonair on  Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. There will be more content coming to our YouTube channel very soon as well, so stay tuned! We’ve got one more episode set to release before the end of March. There’s a lot we want to share with you all. Take care of yourselves and one another. We’re all on this together. And while sake isn’t a solution to our global challenges, we’d like to think that a full tokkuri with a bit of regularity certainly couldn’t hurt, as well. Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

It now feels like eons ago when, only just last month, the global sake community seemed to have all flocked to Japan for the final days of the winter brewing season. My how the world has changed… It was during this time that we managed to catch up with David Joll, owner and head brewer at Queenstown’s pioneering sake brewery, Zenkuro, and Mathew Kingsley-Shaw, co-owner and head brewer at the soon-to-be Melbourne Sake. The Sake On Air team of Marie Nagata, Chris Hughes, Justin Potts, and Sebastien Lemoine sat down with these gentlemen for a conversation that went on for nearly three hours. Reluctant to trim away too many tasty tidbits, we’ve decided to split the recording into a two-part episode, the first part which you’re (hopefully) listening to now, with part two scheduled to release in the coming days. During the first half of this marathon, these ambitious brewers and entrepreneurs discuss their initial motivations for making the leap into sake production, the people and examples that guided them early on, the initial trial and error process, and more. There’s plenty more to the story when it comes to building a brewery from scratch in the Land Down Under. Stay tuned, as plenty more insight from these gentlemen will be hitting the airwaves in a matter of days. For those of you that could take a spare moment to review and rate us on Apple Podcasts, it would be greatly appreciated. Feel free to send your questions and comments about this or any of our shows to [email protected], or to @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can find us on YouTube as well. Take care out there everyone.And don’t forget to Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Continuing with our Meet Your Hosts series, this week we bring you interviews with another pair from the team here at Sake On Air. First up we have Marie Nagata, interviewed by John Gauntner – a bit of an interesting dynamic, as it was Marie’s participation in John’s Sake Professional Course and the community of sake lovers and sake-curious who shared that experience with her that initially lured her down this path, as you’ll hear her describe. Essentially, a Jedi Master interviewing his young Padawan. From her globetrotting upbringing to her time as a brewer, as well as touching upon her new endeavors and her advice for those getting started with the category, it’s a fun, lighthearted and motivating discussion that highlights how the passion for sake is getting passed from generation to generation.   In the latter half of the episode we have Justin Potts being interviewed by Sebastien Lemoine. (You can listen to the reverse of this back on Episode 27). From fermentation to farming, brewing to educating, local food to the role of family in the future of sake, and advocacy for the necessity of kanzake, the conversation takes many turns and (hopefully) rewards the listener willing to accompany Justin in his adventures and ramblings. We would be grateful if you could take a moment to review and rate us on Apple Podcasts, and feel free to send your questions and comments to [email protected], or to @sakeonair on  Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can find us on YouTube as well. We’ve got a lot coming down the pipeline in March. Stay tuned and Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week we zone in on sake in the U.K. as we welcome the founder and owner of Tengu Sake, Oliver Hilton Johnson to the show. Oliver’s carefully curated portfolio and user-friendly communication are just a handful of the reasons that Tengu Sake has been selected as the Specialist Merchant of the Year in the Sake category for the International Wine Challenge four years running. From Oliver’s first forays into the sake business to the exciting developments happening throughout the sake industry in London, Chris Hughes, Marie Nagata and Justin Potts fill the tokkuri and dig into the nitty-gritty with one of the country’s young pioneers of kampai. Please review and rate us on Apple Podcasts, and send your questions and comments to [email protected], or @sakeonair on  Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We’re on YouTube as well. More Sake On Air coming your way in two weeks. Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week it’s time once again to take a moment to get to know the team here at Sake On Air. We first aired one of these episodes back in October (Episode 27), where you got to know Sebastie Lemoine and Christopher Pellegrini; aka, “little Chris”. This week you’ll be hearing from Christopher’s sake-inspired counterpart, Chris Hughes (aka, “big Chris”) along with our quiet champion behind the scenes, Shuso Imada. Despite his relatively short amount of time based in Japan, Chris’s personal and professional history with sake extends back to the days when he still called the U.K. home, which has led him to now becoming one of the most active and prolific non-Japanese sake educators in Japan. In his endless pursuit of truth, as well as new questions in the world of sake, his passion and dedication are both palpable and highly contagious. Currently the general manager of the Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center (where we broadcast from almost exclusively), Imada-san’s ties to the sake industry reach deep, and are long and storied. From his family ties to world-renowned breweries in Hiroshima to deeply rooted sake distributors in Tokyo, then extending to his own private ventures in sake-centric marketing and brand development, Imada-san has arguably one of the broadest perspectives on the industry out of anyone, along with the experience to match. In his interview, Rebekah takes him down a journey of his own personal past, but also explores the major turning points of the industry and its evolution over the past several decades. We let this one run a bit long, because it we thought it was all important. As always, if you’re willing to take a moment to review and rate us on Apple Podcasts (or whatever service you listen on) it would mean the world to us. We also welcome all of your questions and comments about the show, which you can send to [email protected], or track us down at @sakeonair on  Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also listen on our official  YouTube channel, if that’s your thing. Time stamps: Chris Hughes interview 01:46 Start of the interview 05:12 Chris discovers sake for the first time 10:50 Working in sake 26:15 Comics and sake Shuso Imada interview 33:44 Start of the interview 37:36 About the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association 43:30 Sake in the 1960s and 1970s 50:30 Why Imada-san’s English is so good 59:40 What does the Sake world mean to Imada-san now? We’ll be back in two weeks. Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

What exactly is the scent of sake? For our final episode of 2019, Chris Hughes, Rebekah Wilson-Lye, and Sebastie Lemoine gather to discuss the nature and role of aroma in sake. Seeing as how the smells that we experience impart so much influence on our perception of taste and our associated memories, this is a topic that arguably carries as much weight as any in the dialogue of sake. From personal experiences to systematic judging, a bit of the science of sake to the evolution of aroma in relation to production, this week’s discussion ventures far and wide in attempt to unravel the influence of smell on our perception of sake. That being said, we’ve still only scratched the surface. There exists a plethora of angles we’ve still yet to explore, which means that you can be sure we’ll be back to expand upon this particular topic again in the future. In what turned out to be a rather discussion-heavy episode, there are a lot of tasty tidbits interwoven throughout the show from beginning up until the very end. Engaged listening is highly encouraged this week! In addition, we also need to express a special ‘Thanks’ to all of our listeners that have supported us throughout our first year of Sake On Air, having seen us all the way through to the end of 2019. Thanks to all of your excitement and support for the show, every month our listener base grows in countries spanning the globe, resulting in more opportunities to share the wonderful world of sake and shochu with a passionate and sake-curious population. We have a lot planned for 2020. We can’t wait to bring you along for the ride. If you feel like Sake On Air contributed just a little something to your enjoyment of sake and shochu this past year, please do take a moment to review and rate us on Apple Podcasts (or whatever service you listen on). If you feel like giving back to the Sake On Air team in some way, that’s unquestionably the best way to do it. Keep sending us your questions and comments about the show to [email protected], and be sure to continue following us at @sakeonair on  Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also listen on our official  YouTube channel. Happy New Year everyone! Thank you so much for your patience as we worked out what went wrong with the audio of the first version of this episode. Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

We’ve been doing this for an entire year (and then some) already! To commemorate we decided to get the entire cast together (minus John, sadly, who was fully there in spirit) to talk about the nature of the show itself, as well as address a few audience and listener questions, in front of a small live audience in Tokyo back on November 25th.  The format this week is a bit unique, as the show was designed to be an enjoyable listen, but also to speak directly to a live audience. For those that would appreciate a small taste of the live experience, we livestreamed the show on our Facebook page. The audio quality is definitely going to be better via the podcast, but if a bit of visual context will help you get the most out of the show and attach names to faces, please do have a look at the livestream video, as well. Since starting Sake On Air just over a year ago the show has now grown to have listeners in more than 50 countries across the globe and is downloaded thousands of times every month. Hitting the ground running with almost zero promotion or prep time back in October of 2018, we charged forward with excitement and confidence that there was both a strong need and interest for an open and readily available place to share a new kind of dialogue about the fascinating and ever-changing nature of sake, shochu and awamori. Thanks to all of our listeners and supporters that have followed along and championed us over the past year, you’ve proven us right. We can’t thank you enough. Knowing that most of our listeners are scattered across the globe and not having the opportunity to engage face-to-face with our supporters can be a challenge at times, as sending data out into the digital void every other week can feel much less tangible, both for us, and we imagine for many of our listeners as well. Being able to speak in front of a live group of supporters, while also having listeners send in questions and words of encouragement throughout the broadcast, was incredibly rewarding. We’d love to hear your thoughts about this week’s format. Having tried this, we feel like there’s potential to continue to explore this style of show and further engage with our audience both locally and digitally in more new and direct ways. We’d love to travel for shows as well! While it may not happen right away, if there’s interest, we’d love to find a way to make a tour of some sort happen…! But for now, this week you can settle in with Sebastie Lemoine, Rebekah Wilson-Lye, Christopher Pellegrini, Marie Nagata, Chris Hughes and Justin Potts for a small celebration of all things sake, shochu and awamori, here in Tokyo. Last but not least, after listening to this week’s show, if you could take just a moment to leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast streaming service it would mean a great deal to us and help more than you know. Info and instructions about how to do this can be found here. Stitcher users can leave reviews directly in-browser here. While you’re listening, you can further keep tabs on us through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and our  YouTube channel. Any and all questions and comments are welcome via [email protected], or directly through our contact page. We’ve got one more episode of Sake On Air on the way this month before we close out 2019. Thanks again everyone. Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

It was right around this very same time last year that we sat down with a whole slew of splendid bartenders and mixologists to discuss shochu following their tour across Kyushu. This week, we’ve done it again! Only this time instead of trying to squeeze a large group into a single episode, we pulled aside a single specialist – the one-and-only Philip Duff – to explore shochu in the context of the greater spirits landscape. Philip has a long and storied history in the world of bartending, cocktails and shaping the future of spirits. From opening Holland’s first speakeasy, Door 74, to serving as the educational director for Tales of the Cocktail, writing for many of the industry’s most respected media, judging for many of the industry’s largest bar and cocktail awards, and circling the globe as one of the most prolific educators and consultants in the world of spirits, Philip is now concentrating his efforts on his original genever label, Old Duff Genever, and further developing his on-trade consultancy at Liquid Solutions. While shochu does indeed dominate the conversation, given Philip’s unique experience and perspective on the industry, Sebastien and Justin also pick his brain about the rise of Japanese gin, the world’s misconceptions of genever, how Japan might be able to learn from the U.S. tequila industry, and more! After listening to this week’s show, please do take a moment to leave us a review for us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast streaming service. It really helps! While you’re listening, you can further keep tabs on us through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and our  YouTube channel. Any and all questions and comments are welcome via [email protected], or directly through our contact page. We’ll be back in a couple more weeks for just a bit more Sake On Air before we close out 2019. Stay tuned, and Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Sake On Air has taken the show on the road! Well, sort of. The gang isn’t all here, but Justin recently spent a bit of time in the Pacific Northwest and along the way managed to sit down with a few of the individuals helping to shape the future of sake in the region. While in Portland Oregon for the annual Portland Fermentation Festival Justin sat down with sake samurai and vice president of the sake category for Young’s Market Company, Marcus Pakiser, together with SakeOne sales and marketing manager, Midori Nakazawa. Portland is a city gathering the attention of the world for its approach to sustainable development, with it now regularly ranked as one of the best cities to live in the U.S. But what does Portland look like as a “sake city?” Does the local populace’s relatively high level of awareness in relation to food and beverage, as well as preference for “local” as well as “natural” (a word to tackle another day!) give it the potential to develop a unique local sake market that sets it apart from other major cities across North America? Its these topics and more that we delve into in this week’s episode of Sake On Air! A quick caveat about this week’s episode before listening: This was our first-time recording “on the road.” To make a long story short, our recording tools and methods for this (and a couple more upcoming shows that were recorded in the U.S.) were highly makeshift. As a result, the recording quality and volume has suffered a bit, but we hope that you’ll stick with us and that we were able to make up for it with some fun and insightful content. Let us know what you thought of this week’s show (and the show in general) by leaving a review for us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast streaming service. You can follow along with our adventures on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and our  YouTube channel. Send your thoughts and feedback to as at [email protected], or via the contact page on our brand new website. Thanks for listening. Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Over the past year of doing Sake On Air, believe it or not, one of the most highly requested show topics that we get from our listeners has been for us to do a deep-dive exploring the backgrounds and stories of your regular hosts here on the show. Originally a bit hesitant – the entire purpose of the show is to provide a voice to those in and around the industry that are underrepresented – we realized that we’ve been doing this for quite a while now without ever properly communicating to our listeners exactly who is involved and their motivations behind, not only Sake On Air, but their involvement in the world of sake. So with that, we bring you Part 1 of our “Know Your Hosts” series. Each episode will include in-depth interviews with two of your regular Sake On Air hosts. Over four episodes to be released intermittently over the coming months, you’ll have the chance to learn a bit more about the people that came together in order to make Sake On Air possible. For Part 1, we hear from the show’s shochu ambassador, Christopher Pellegrini, as well as our deep culture guru and resident Frenchman, Sebastien Lemoine. Now that we’ve gone through the process of recording all of these, we’re actually really excited to finally share the stories of the people behind the microphones with all of our listeners. If you have any questions for this week’s hosts (and interviewees!), feel free to reach out to us at [email protected], or via the contact page on our brand new website. If you could take a moment to leave a review for us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast streaming service, it really does wonders for helping us to promote and grow the show. Also be sure to follow along with us on Instagram, Twiiter, and Facebook, and our  YouTube channel is finally in motion as well. Thanks for listening, and kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week’s episode is especially timely, as Justin managed to squeeze in an interview with Stephen Lyaman to coincide with the launch of his brand new book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, co-authored together with Chris Bunting, author of Drinking Japan, which released October 1st in the U.S. and is already largely available internationally thanks to Tuttle Publishing. Those familiar with Stephen’s work may associate mostly with Japan’s beloved indigenous spirit, shochu. Sake On Air’s shochu aficionado, Christopher Pellegrini sat down for an extensive interview with Stephen back in Episode 14. Giving that show a listen first will be a great primer for this week’s discussion. This week’s show is a lot of fun because we delve into a great deal more than just sake and shochu. A rarity for the show, Stephen’s new book gave us a great opportunity to discuss Japanese wine, whiskey, beer, cocktails, and how all of these things play into the greater landscape of ‘drinking in Japan.’ Stephen is currently on the road promoting his new book, so be sure to listen in for upcoming tour dates, as well as follow him on Twitter and Instagram in order to keep tabs on the Kyushu-based founder of Kampai.us and East Coast instructor for the Sake School of America Certified Shochu Advisor Course, and hopefully thank him in-person for his great contribution with The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks. We’d love your thoughts and feedback on this week’s episode. Let us know what excites you about shochu at [email protected] You can always follow us on Instagram, Twiiter, and Facebook, and if you’re so inclined, our YouTube channel is finally just about up-to-date as well, for those that prefer plenty of video-distractions just one click away. Also, reviews are great. If you have a moment, please do share a few kind words. It helps the show like you wouldn’t believe. Thanks for listening, and kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Cody Brailsford is a rather rare breed. Now fuku-toji (assistant head brewer) as of this recording, at Watanabe Sake Brewery, makers of Hourai brand sake in the small countryside town of Hida Furukawa in Gifu Prefecture, Cody has been toiling away in the brewery for well over a decade. As more sake breweries open across the globe, and as breweries in Japan gradually open their doors (and minds) to the prospect of greater diversity in the brewery, the number of non-Japanese people working stints in Japanese sake breweries has grown significantly in recent years. However very few have dug in for the long haul in the way that Cody has at Hourai. And his time and hard work have clearly been recognized and appreciated, as he was just offered the position of fuku-toji a matter of days before he sat down with us here at Sake On Air. In addition to Cody’s “origin story” and life as a brewer, we also discuss the challenges of taking a brewery from hyper-local to international, the shift from brewing to communicating, the transition from one toji guild to another, and much more. Christopher Hughes and Justin Potts are your navigators for this session. Pour yourself a beverage (or several) and settle in for fascinating glimpse into the world of sake brewing in Japan with a gentleman whose experience and perspective are truly one-of-a-kind. You can learn more about, as well as follow the adventures of Cody and Hourai Sake at any of the outlets below. Watanabe Sake Brewery Official Website: Cody on Instagram Hourai on Instagram Be sure to let us know what you think by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your regular serving of Sake On Air. You can follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter via @sakeonair. Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] as well. Until next week – kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week’s episode is exactly what the title says: an interview with Shinichiro Shimizu, the president of Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, better known as makers of the incredibly popular brand of sake, ZAKU. Zaku has taken both Japan and the world by storm in recent years, being awarded top accolades in just about every sake competition under the sun, while simultaneously establishing itself as a staple on the drink menus of many casual dining izakaya, as well as appearing regularly on the drink menus of establishments committed to the super high-end of the spectrum. Continually permeating into more and more international markets, this humble brewery of Mie Prefecture is turning into a household name. Chris and Justin wanted to know how Zaku got to where it was today and understand the ethos driving this brewery that is creating an outstanding place for itself in the sake world on it’s own terms. You’ll notice immediately that this week’s episode is a bit different. This particular interview was conducted several months back entirely in Japanese. We’ve been sitting on this for a while because it takes a significant amount of resources to transform such content into something that will be useful to the majority of our listeners. That being said, we think that content of this nature is terribly important. One of our primary goals here at Sake On Air is to help give a voice to the amazing people shaping the future of the sake industry. Arranging, conducting, dubbing and editing in the way that we have this week is one way to go about doing that. Being an entirely auditory platform, the means through which we can make this sort of content available to our listeners is somewhat limited. We took a first crack at it this week. We know that it isn’t perfect, but we’re proud of it. We also know that we have plenty of room to improve. Please do let us know what you thought of this week’s episode. Let us know if you enjoy and would like more of this type of content. Or, if you have other ideas or suggestions for how we might make this sort of content accessible to our listeners, please let us know. While you’re at it, please do take a moment to review the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your regular dose of Sake On Air. A huge ‘Thank You’ is in order. Mr. Shuso Imada, took on the gargantuan job of being the voice of this week’s interviewee, Mr. Shinichiro Shimizu. We sort of threw him right into the fire and he did a stellar job. Imada-san, arigato! You can follow Shuso and the rest of the Sake On Air team’s adventures on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter via @sakeonair. Be sure to send your questions and comments to [email protected] Thanks for tuning in. Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

When you start talking sake (or shochu), you don’t get too far in before finding that you need to address koji. That’s what Justin, (big) Chris and Sebastien set out to do this week. As Japan’s magical mold, Aspergillus oryzae, begins to gain traction, not just throughout the world of brewing, but  in the culinary realm and the larger movement reexamining the power of fermentation, the number of questions is rising right alongside the rising interest and excitement – and there’s a lot of be excited about. What exactly is (and is not) koji? Where does it come from? What does it do? Why should you care? Should you be rethinking your skincare practices and integrating Amino Rice? Should you raise your awareness around kojic acid? We only scratch the surface as we ramble and meander a bit this week, but we’re currently arranging to bring some true specialists in the field into the studio so that we can really dig deep into the nitty-gritty. It just means that you have that much more Sake On Air to look forward to! In the meantime, you can follow our adventures on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter via @sakeonair. If would be so kind as to review the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your regular dose of Sake On Air, it would mean the world to us. Questions and comments can be sent to [email protected] Thanks for tuning in. Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week John Gauntner takes over as master of ceremonies, as Rebekah Wilson-Lye, Chris Hughes and Justin Potts combine forces to help flesh out an all-important and ever-evolving element of sake that sits at the core of some of the most important conversations: rice types. Aside from just the distinction between sake rice and standard rice varieties used in sake production, the team discusses influence on the beverage’s character and profile, regionality, agricultural challenges, issues of access and economics, current trends, and more.As with all of our episodes, we can’t cover everything in 60 minutes. Following the recording we discussed the possibility of putting together a number of different shows based on the relationship between rice and sake, from historical, to agri-specific, to entire shows examining single varietals. If there’s a specific topic that you’d be excited to hear us discuss, please let us know! You can send your ideas, feedback and words of encouragement to [email protected] Follow along with our day-to-day shenanigans via @sakeonair on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. If you’d be so kind as to leave us a review along with a few kind words on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever it is you get your regular dose of Sake On Air, it would mean the world to us. We’ve got a handful of announcements coming very soon – stay tuned! As always, thanks for listening, and Kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

The rise in sake’s presence at notable restaurants and gastronomic celebrations across the globe in recent years is in no small part due to the individuals that have taken it upon themselves to craft the physical bridges for transport while also blazing new trails in their home territory. Albeit an entirely unintended development (story in the show!), an unexpected turn-of-events placed Pablo Alomar Salvioni on an untrodden trail which led him to becoming one of the pioneers of the sake movement in Spain, a country with a rich and respected food culture all it’s own, which has also developed as hotbed for pioneering culinary innovation. Through S&A (Salvioni & Alomar), Pablo brings not only sake, but also an array of hand-picked, high-quality fermented food products (soy sauce, vinegars, etc.), tea, and glassware to some of Spain’s most exciting dining establishments. In bringing incredible product to Spain, working as both an educator and catalyst for the development of local sake culture, he has also been central in bringing some of the most exciting people from Japan’s culinary world together with Spanish food lovers. This week, following a recent trip to Spain where she explored local wine together with Pablo and a handful of inspiring sake brewers, Rebekah slips into the conductor’s chair this week, joined by little Chris (Pellegrini!) and Sebastien, where they explore the possibilities and challenges involved in bridging borders through food and sake. While we’ve introduced her here-and-there over the past couple of months, and she has had a bit of a presence on the show recently, this is the first episode where you’ll all truly get a taste of the incredible contribution that Rebekah is bringing to Sake On Air. Her articulate nature and vast knowledge base will further be on display as she beckons more exciting guests to the show in the coming months. Stay tuned! Follow Pablo, Salvioni & Alomar, as well as his wine-centric business, Sourcing the Earth, at any or all of the sites below. Salvioni & Alomar https://www.salvioni-alomar.com/ Facebook Instagram Sourcing the Earth https://www.sourcingtheearth.com/ Pablo on Social Media Instagram Facebook Twitter For Sake On Air, you can follow us at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Please send your questions, comments and feedback to [email protected]. If you could take a moment to leave a review of the show on your regular listening platform, it would mean the world to us. Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions. More sake and shochu madness in a couple of weeks. Until then, kampai! Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

As promised, the Sake On Air team’s exploration into the sake-specific Daiginjo and Junmai glassware developed by Riedel continues with an interactive tasting led by Riedel Japan President and CEO, Wolfgang Angyal. Clocking in at roughly 90 minutes, this is by far the longest episode of Sake On Air to-date. Why? There turned out to be just too much great food for thought and insightful commentary sprinkled throughout the entire experience. Our apologies in advance – we recognize that a strictly audio format is not the most ideal medium for communicating the nuances of tasting and the associated olfactory experiences. Our recommendation is to grab a bottle of sake for yourself and settle in to join us on what was really a fantastic tasting journey. Just for reference, the tasting employed Riedel’s Daiginjo and Junmai glassware, along with for the sake of comparison, a very standard ochoko (albeit a bit on the small side), as well as a Riesling glass also developed by Riedel. While not a prerequisite, we recommend listening to Episode 19, where Wolfgang gives an excellent detailed explanation of the glassware that we’re testing in this episode, as well as outlines the process that went into bringing them into fruition. In the tasting room this week along with Wolfgang are Sake On Air hosts Sebastien Lemoine, Rebekah Wilson-Lye, Chris Hughes, Marie Nagata and Justin Potts. Please do let us know what you think about this week’s episode (and the show in general!) by taking a moment to rate and leave us a review on your podcast platform-of-choice. We can’t express enough how much it helps the show. You can send your questions to [email protected], as well as follow us at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. For those of you that prefer YouTube, check back again very soon! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with recording and editing by Frank Walter. We’ll be back in two weeks. Until then, kampai! Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

The Sake On Air team recently gathered at the Japan offices of Riedel, renowned Austrian wine varietal-specific glassware makers, to meet with Japan’s President and CEO Wolfgang Angyal in order to learn about the nearly two-decade process that went into producing two pieces of highly influential, sake-specific glassware: the Daiginjo Glass, and the more recent, Junmai Glass. Over nearly three hours, Sebastien, Rebekah, Chris, Marie and Justin got an in-depth rundown on the philosophy, process and journey that fueled the creation of both the Daiginjo and Junmai glasses, followed by an interactive tasting and simultaneous Q&A. For part 1 this week, Wolfgang outlines how Riedel’s unique and innovative sake-specific glassware came to fruition. For part 2 (coming soon), you’ll get the live tasting and the discussion that ensued organically throughout the process. This two-part episode is a bit of a new experiment for us here at Sake On Air. We’d love to hear your thoughts, not just about the content of the show, but also about the format. Are there any other shows of this nature that you’d like for us to make happen? Let us know! Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: @sakeonair Send us a message at [email protected] If you have a moment, please do rate us and leave a comment on whatever service you regularly enjoy listening to Sake On Air. It helps us immensely. Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is a co-production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan, with audio engineering by Frank Walter. Thanks for listening. Until next week, Kampai!

A topic of endless discussion and debate, this week Chris Hughes, Sebastien Lemoine, Marie Nagata and Christopher Pellegrini are joined by Eli Nygren, kurabito (brewer) at Chiyonokame Shuzo in Ehime Prefecture, to examine what exactly gives sake its “local” profile. From rice to water, yeast to koji, people to practices, the number of elements at play that can enhance (or diminish!?) a sake’s “sense of place” are varied and complex. Is “terroir” even an appropriate word? Do sake and shochu need to establish their own vocabulary in order to truly communicate the value of their relationship to the place wherein which they are born? All that and more on this week’s episode of Sake On Air! We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please write us at [email protected], or send us a message at @sakonair on either Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Nice reviews are welcome as well! Tell your friends! Sake On Air is brought to you with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan, with editing and audio production handled by Mr. Frank Walter. Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week Chris Hughes takes the reigns as we set our sights on what feels to be an ever-moving target: the complex relationship between sake and food. While experience with wine and other beverages informs many expectations for sake, and a lot of concepts are somewhat transferrable, the reality is that sake is its own beast entirely. Many people in Japan, as well as internationally, have been doing exceptional work to further the craft, understanding and communication surrounding this relationship, but the exciting reality is that there still exist nearly infinite avenues to be explored.   We’re joined again this week by local WSET Sake Educator and Japan brand manager for CAMUS Cognac, Sarasa Suzuki, as well as regular crew members Sebastien Lemoine and Justin Potts, as we dig a bit into the historical relationships between food and sake in Japan, while examining a number of angles for further developing and understanding this match-made-in-heaven.   Even in the short window of time between when we recorded this episode and its release, there have already been a number of thrilling publications released (in Japanese) pushing this concept into new territories. This is a trend that isn’t going to stop anytime soon, and if anything, the pace at which new research and discoveries surface is going to continue to increase. At the same time, drinking and dining trends associated with sake and new service-related strategies are continuing to rapidly develop and evolve. For a lot of the concepts that we touch upon in this episode we hover around the conceptual level. We’ll tackle a lot of these topics in more detail in upcoming episodes. For now, consider this a basic primer on the topic, as there’s a lot more on the way.   As always, if you have any questions or comments regarding this week’s episode please feel free to reach out to us (and follow along) on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter at @sakeonair. If you could find time to leave a review and a brief comment on your favorite listening service it helps us more than you know. Sake On Air is brought to you with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan, with editing and audio production handled by Mr. Frank Walter.   We’ll be back again in two weeks.   Until then, Kampai!   Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

We’re back this week with a boozy double-interview featuring one shochu meister and one sake maven. In the first half of this week’s episode of Sake on Air, Christopher Pellegrini interviews Maya Aley, the first non-Japanese to receive the prestigious certification of Shochu Meister. Maya has been living and working in Kagoshima city since 2011. Starting as an English teacher before shifting to translation, interpretation, and local business development, she talks to us about the Kagoshima University Shochu Meister course, Kagoshima’s special place in the shochu world, and one of the city’s most famous shochu bars, Ishizue, where you can now find her regularly behind the bar. You can also find her on Instagram @maya.aley. For the second-half, Justin joins Christopher Pellegrini to speak with special guest Jamie Graves, the Japanese beverage portfolio manager for Skurnik Wines and Spirits in New York. After teaching English in the JET program for a year in 2002, Jamie found himself on the archipelago for an additional four more years where he worked various restaurant jobs, explored sake, and improved his Japanese until he was able to successfully pass the highest level of the Japanese language proficiency test. Upon returning to New York he slipped into the restaurant scene and wound up at the East Village shojin cuisine restaurant, Kaijitsu, run by head-chef Masato Nishihara. After cycling through the Japanese dining circuit, Jamie has now found a home at Skurnik, where he is responsible not only for sake, but shochu and all categories of Japanese spirits. Follow Jamie on his Instagram: @jamiefgraves, and we highly encourage our listeners to check out his insightful series of “Unfiltered” articles about sake and shochu on skurnik.com. We hope you enjoy this week’s episode of Sake On Air. If you have any feedback, comments or questions, we would love to hear from you. As we’re currently restructuring a few things on the back-end (details coming soon!), our regular email, [email protected], is out of commission temporarily, but you can reach out to us at any time on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks again for tuning in. Until next time, Kampai! Sake On Air is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center and made possible with the generous support of JSS (Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association) and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan.

EP 15 – Live with Andre Bishop and William Stuart In March we did four shows, all recorded live at the Aoyama Sake Flea, and who should we bump into than the Sake Samurai, Andre Bishop, and William Stuart, the CEO of Colorado Sake Co.? We managed to grab a few minutes with them to sit and talk sake. The conversation wandered from America to Australia as we picked their brains on topics like sake legislation, drumming up interest outside of Japan, and the future of sake as a culture and industry. We have a lot more exciting content from the Aoyama Sake Flea coming very soon; so stay tuned for more Sake On Air. And if you’re a sake aficionado like us and have the perfect topic for an episode -or just want to let us know how much you love the podcast- share your thoughts with us at [email protected]. Your feedback does wonders to support the show, so if you love SOA and want to see it grow, consider tipping your glass to us online with a review. Sake On Air is regularly broadcasted from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center and made possible by the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association. It is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan.   Kampai!

Sake is out this week and Shochu is in! Christopher Pellegrini takes the hotseat to interview his partner in crime, Stephen Lyman.   Stephen Lyman is the founder of Kampai.us and the East Coast instructor for the Sake School of America Certified Shochu Advisor Course. Currently based in Fukuoka city on the island of Kyushu, Stephen now splits his time between Kyushu and New York. Every season for the past 6 years he has been helping Yamatozakura Distillery with their shochu production. He and Chirstopher have gone into business together to open Yokaban, a new shochu bar in Fukuoka, and Stephen is also finishing up with his first book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, which he co-authored together with Chris Bunting, author of Drinking Japan.   02:25 Stephen’s journey to Japan 04:40 Meeting shochu in NYC 07:00 Starting Kampi.us 08:30 Shochu Tasting Competition 10:53 Meeting Sekai Ishizuka and traveling to Japan together 13:30 Meeting Takkan Wakamatsu 15:02 Interning with Yamatozakura 17:40 The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks 23:10 The Certified Shochu Advisor Course 30:15 How Stephen and Chris met 35:00 Chris and Stephen’s Shochu Bar (Yokaban NY) 38:00 Drinking Games 39:40 Looking toward the future 46:10 Drinking Shochu and Awamori at home 49:45 Challenges selling Shochu abroad 56:40 Shochu as an artisanal Spirit 58:58 Final remarks   We’d love your thoughts and feedback on this week’s episode. Let us know what excites you about shochu at [email protected] You can always follow us on Instagram, Twiiter, and Facebook, if you’re so inclined. And while it has been rather quiet for a long time now, expect updates to our YouTube channel very soon. Also, reviews are great. If you have a moment, please do share a few kind words. It helps the show like you wouldn’t believe.   A big thanks to Frank for another great production this week. The Export Japan team is helping us with a few other show-related things at the moment, as well. We’ll have more to share here very soon. Thanks for listening!   Sake On Air is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center and made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan. Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

We’ve been telling you that it was coming (since last autumn!) and this week we finally delivered. We’re joined this week by none other than Natsuki Kikuya, founder of Museum of Sake, one of London’s foremost curators of the local sake industry. Why a “curator of sake”? The depth and breadth of Natsuki’s work and relationship with sake is difficult to categorize into a preexisting job description. As someone shaping the landscape of the current (and as a result, also future) sake market in London, her self-imposed title feels more than apt. Also, for those paying attention to last week’s episode, you know that Masumi’s Keith Norum was present for a good chunk of Natsuki’s interview, which means that he’s back! Together with Sebastien and Justin, the four discuss challenges in sake education and communication, international market expansion, sake discoveries in Japan, and more. We were incredibly lucky to get these two stellar individuals in the studio. You’re all rather lucky this week, as we deliver back-to-back episodes two weeks in a row once again! (Don’t get used to it quite yet, however…) We’d love your thoughts and feedback. Feel free to mail us at [email protected] Please also follow us on Instagram, Twiiter, and Facebook, if you’re so inclined. (That’s us asking nicely). And while it has been more than a little quiet for a long time now, expect updates to our YouTube channel sooner than later! Also, reviews are great. If you have a moment, please do share a few kind words. It helps the show like you wouldn’t believe. Big thanks to Frank for churning out another great recording this week. The Export Japan team is helping us with a few other show-related things at the moment, as well. We’ll have more to share here very soon. We’ll be back for a big “kampai” here again in two weeks. Until then, for those in Tokyo, be sure to swing by Aoyama Sake Flea on March 30-31 at the United Nations University in Omotesando and say ‘hello’. We’ll be hanging out and doing interviews and recordings all weekend! Thanks for listening! Sake On Air is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center and made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan. Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week’s show title tells you all you need to know. For those of you unacquainted with Masumi Sake, the brilliant Nagano-based craft of Miyasaka Brewing Company, you’ve come to the right place.   And there’s no one better equipped to deliver the goods on this topic than Keith Norum, a name synonymous with Masumi internationally. A long-time Suwa local and Miyasaka Brewing Company veteran, Keith is experienced, eloquent, and arguably one of the best in the business when it comes to communicating the appeal of sake, whether it be for newcomers, or the thoroughly initiated.   Justin more-or-less takes the reins for this interview, however Sebastien is in on the game this week, as well. We actually had another special guest sitting in for part of this one. While silent for this round, she’ll be sharing her wisdom in an upcoming episode very soon. Stay tuned!   For those that missed it, heir to the throne at Masumi, Katsuhiko Miyasaka, made a brief appearance on one of our past episodes recorded at Aoyama Sake Flea. We recommend giving that a listen, if you haven’t done so already.   And in more exciting news, we’ll be back at Aoyama Sake Flea right in the midst of sakura (cherry blossom) season! We’ll be doing a few more shows on March 30th-31st, so if anyone is in the area, please be sure to stop by for a “kampai”! You can look forward to those episodes very soon.   Any questions, comments, or words of encouragement are always welcome at [email protected].   Please do follow along with our adventures via @sakeonair on all of your favorite people-watching services.   Until next round, Kampai!   Sake On Air is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center and made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan.   Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

We decided that it was about time we sat down and hashed it out over something that is becoming an increasingly divisive topic in the sake world: to aruten or not to aruten? That is the question that John, little Chris, big Chris, and Justin pose to one another, as well as our listeners, in this week’s surprise release of Sake On Air. For those unfamiliar with the concept, both junmai and aruten likely appear to be nothing more than drunken gibberish. However, to anyone trying to discern what’s inside (or rather, not inside) a bottle of sake, this is important vocabulary.   “Aruten” is Japanese industry slang for sake which has had what is often translated as “brewer’s alcohol”, which is added to sake in some (many!) cases. It can also refer to the related process of adding such alcohol to a bottle of sake. While by no means necessary in order to craft a delicious fermented rice beverage, motivations for adding this somewhat ambiguous alcohol can range from anything as simple cost-cutting, to calculated and crafted usage leading to extremely high-end, carefully nuanced sake production. As reasons for aruten’s existence and prevalence very much run the gamut of motivations, it’s challenging to shuffle it into any one specific camp, or explain it in simple terms of “good” vs. “evil”. Aruten sake would include daiginjo and ginjo (without the word “junmai” attached), as well as honjozo and futsu-shu styles.   “Junmai”, then, translated literally as, “pure rice”, is exactly what you might expect: sake that has not had any brewer’s alcohol added in any form, or in other words, has not received the “aruten treatment”. Originally, any and all sake produced was junmai. However, times change, as do brewers’ ambitions and the market’s tastes and perceptions. There’s a rather significant “all junmai” push from both inside and outside the industry, as of late. The reasons for that, however, are actually more varied and complicated than you might think.   As regular consumers and extreme foodies alike increasingly (and rightfully) demand more transparency in relation to food and beverage, the industry is up against further pressure to openly communicate not only “what” is inside a bottle of sake, but also justify “why” it ought to be there in the first place.   In a world where views and opinions feel like they’re becoming increasingly polarized, we set out to do our best in order to give both junmai and aruten a fair shake, going to bat for both parties in (hopefully) equal form. In this episode, the goal isn’t to provide our listeners with “the answer”, but the information to help everyone make more informed decisions for themselves.   Are you in the “junmai camp”? The “aruten camp”? Or maybe just the plain old, “love for sake camp”? Hopefully this week we can help you to spread the sake love wherever it is your inspirations and preferences may guide you.   As always, thanks to both our dedicated followers and new listeners that make it all possible. If you’d like to leave us a kind review, our love for you will flourish all the more. We can’t begin to tell you how much that helps.   If you have any thoughts about the show, feedback, questions or show ideas, feel free to contact us at [email protected] Please do follow along with us (@sakeonair) via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, as well. We try to send out some lovely photos and thoughtful words here and there in order to satiate those thirsty for more sake-related insight in between episode releases. A big thanks (as always) to the amazing Frank Walter for bringing us to life each and every round. Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan.   Kampai!   Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

What does it take to realize a dream of American craft sake? And even more specifically, Brooklyn craft sake?   This week Chris Hughes and Justin Potts catch up with Brian Polen, co-founder and president of Brooklyn Kura, New York’s first sake brewery, on his (relatively) recent trip to the sake island in the pacific.   Having officially opened to the public in 2018, the trail being blazed by Brian, along with co-founder and brewmaster, Brandon Doughan, is one that is already informing a future of international, locally-made craft sake as new breweries spring to life across the globe.   We dig into the origin story, as well as explore the excitement and challenges that go along with trying to, not only create and run a sake brewery, but communicate the infinite potential of sake to a world still largely unacquainted with the magical rice beverage.   We’re happy to finally get this interview out into the world, as we’ve actually been sitting on this one since the SOA early days. This week’s flow may be a bit more rough around the edges compared to our more recent offerings (we were still very much getting our feet wet at this point), but the stories and nuggets of insight that Brian shares are fascinating, and going to be relevant to sake lovers, the sake-curious, and those that may be looking to make new professional forays into the world of sake for years to come.   If in the area, be sure to pop into the tap room for a visit! Brooklyn Kura is located inside Industry City, at 68 34th Street, Brooklyn, NY.   Announcements! *We’ll be back at Aoyama Sake Flea at the Farmer’s Market at United Nations University in Aoyama (Tokyo) on March 30-31st. If anyone plans to be in the area, be sure to pop in and say hello! We’ll be doing several recordings both days and have some more exciting guests lined up for the Spring rendition of the bi-annual sake celebration! *You may notice a string of new episodes trickling out with more regularity than usual in the coming weeks. We actually have some content stocked up that we want to get out, and we’re working on some new developments, as well (details coming soon!) As we transition a bit you may notice a few more interviews or mini-episodes pop up here and there. We look forward to sharing more details on our new developments soon, but until then, enjoy!   As always, you can follow us on all of your preferred social media sources via @sakeonair. Please send your comments and feedback to [email protected].   The more reviews we get, the more we can spread the sake love! Please do take a moment to share your thoughts, if you’re so inclined.   Until next week, Kampai!   Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan.

We’ve got a new twist on an old formula this week.   In the interest of fairness, after having done a Shochu 101 episode, we thought it only made sense to give Sake the same treatment.   However, unlike Shochu, the “basics” of sake have been well-treaded in many forms across books, videos, blogs, lectures and other media. It didn’t make sense for us to just rehash the same material that’s already readily available just about everywhere. While we want to provide our listeners with a solid foundation of the core principles surrounding Sake and Shochu, digging deeper in order to provide context and stimulate dialogue is why this show exists. So, we thought we’d mix it up a little.   John has been on the road a great deal as of late (as of always?) and we wanted to get him on air. When we talked about doing a Sake 101, it was something that he really wanted to be a part of. When he offered to provide a monologue outlining the fundamentals, we naturally said, Yoroshiku! This is a master in his wheelhouse – what more could we ask for?   With that, this week you get the core basics outlined by the best in the business. You want to scout out a tasty bottle of sake that you’ll be happy with today? We’ve got you covered.   But we wanted to do something for our listeners who already feel comfortable with the “basics”, providing a bit more food-for-thought. So, what we’ve done this week is break John’s brilliant monologue into segments, with the Sake On Air team jumping in at regular intervals to flesh out the details, ask deeper questions, and provide further context for why the various points that John has laid out are significant.   In addition to John Gauntner’s pre-recorded presence, three core members of the SOA crew, Chris Hughes, Sebastien Lemoine, and Justin Potts, are very lucky to be joined this week by Sarasa Suzuki, who is a WSET Sake Educator, as well as wine and spirits specialist here in Japan, also serving as the Japan brand manager for CAMUS Cognac. She was kind enough to put up with our shenanigans this week as she brings her experience and insight to the important topics that we delve into for this week’s show. Lucky us, and lucky you! (She’ll be making an appearance in a future episode to be released soon, as well!)   Our listeners may have a few thoughts and opinions about the content of this week’s episode. Great! Send those to us at [email protected]   You can stay up-to-date on what’s happening with the show by following along on Instagram, Twitter (@sakeonair) and Facebook, as well.   If you can find a moment in your busy schedule,  a quick review on your favorite listening service would really mean a lot.   Thanks to Frank Walter for the time he put into making this one shine. It wasn’t an easy task.   Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan.   Until our next outing, Kampai!   Show Notes: 6:07 What is Sake? 9:02 Sake and the Family of Brewed Beverages 10:30 Brewing Beer vs. Brewing Sake; Clarifying “Koji” 10:46 The History of Sake 22:02 What’s the fuss about Ginjo? 22:50 Good Sake and Better Sake 31:57 Relationship Between Price and Quality: Sake Rice 38:33 Relationship Between Price and Quality: Rice Milling & Special Designation Sake 45:13 The Blood, Sweat and Tears of Sake Brewing and the Tenuous Hierarchy System 48:02 Sake Service Temperature 51:52 Storing Sake and Aging Sake 56:18 Drinking Vessels 61:50 Sake and Food 65:25 John Gauntner’s “Basics for Enjoying Sake Today” (uncut from start to finish)

A bit of a small miracle, we managed to get the entire Sake On Air entourage in the same room at the same time. A first for the show, we have John, Sebastien, big Chris & little Chris, and Justin all together on the mic together this week!   In Japan, the sake and shochu industries are now just as turbulent and dynamic as any beverage category on the market. Since that action doesn’t always get communicated to the international sake-loving community, we thought we would sit down this week to reflect on the trends and impactful events that helped define sake in 2018.   Seeing as how we like to look ahead to sake and shochu’s unquestionably bright future, we also rounded up and shared our predictions for 2019. Some of those things are extensions of what we saw in 2018, however we could be in for some real surprises as well.   This week’s recording took place after a lengthy and energized team gathering where we plotted out our vision, goals and ambitions for the year ahead. The result is an episode of Sake On Air with an (awesome!) energy a bit different from everything that’s come before. Suffice it to say, we’re ecstatic about what the coming year has in store.   As far as we’re concerned, we’re still sending out the “beta” version of the show, but we’re on the verge of shifting into the next phase. We’ve got some big plans and exciting changes in store. They may not all be apparent at first, but we think you’ll pick up on it soon enough. We can’t wait to share more in the coming months.   As always, thanks to both our dedicated followers and new listeners that make it all possible. If you have any thoughts about the show, feel free to contact us at [email protected]   Please do follow along with us (@sakeonair) on our day-to-day journeys via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, as well. We’re sharing glimpses into sake brewing, service, people, and the culture that binds it all together.   Taking a moment to write a quick review helps more than you know. If you’re so inclined, yoroshiku!   A big thanks (as always) to Frank Walter for the amazing turnaround on this one. We wanted to get this out into the world while the excitement was still resonating.   Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan.   Kampai!   Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Japan has absolutely exploded as a food and dining destination, but how is it as a sake destination? Sure there’s more than enough incredible sake to go around, but will you be able to find it? Are there specific regions or locations scattered across Japan that are accessible and offer the kinds of unique sake experiences and discoveries that make it worth the trip? What can we expect from “sake tourism” in the (hopefully) near future?   Its these topics (and more!) that fuel this particular sake journey, guided by Sebastien Lemoine,  Chris Hughes, and Justin Potts.   This week’s show is actually from a rather early recording that we did while still in our “R&D phase”. We weren’t sure if it would see the light of day, but giving it another listen, we thought there was info here that could be useful to our listeners, as well as hopefully be something that people could come back to and reference when planning or considering a visit to Japan that integrated sake discoveries.   This is a topic that we’ll be exploring again, both more thoroughly, as well as from a few other angles. That’s why we’ve labeled it “Part 1”. Part 2 doesn’t exist yet, but it will someday! Until then, we hope you’ll find some helpful tidbits tucked away in the discussion.   Also, we wanted to keep some fun content flowing post-holiday while we snuck away for a bit of rest, family time and celebration. We’ve got lots of exciting material coming very soon!   Because this episode was recorded a while back, some of the “news” that we discuss is, as you might have guessed, a bit outdated. That being said, we think it’s still interesting and relevant stuff, so we decided to leave it in there. And hey, if you hadn’t heard about it yet, then it’s news to you!   Topics, places and sake discussed this week (with links) include: – Throughout this episode we’re sipping on the classic nigori sake from Kikuhime in Ishikawa prefecture. – Kit Kat and umeshu (from Heiwa Shuzo, makers of KID sake) become one at a special Craft Sake Week bar. – Italian craft beer producer Baladin teams up with soy sauce producer Yamaroku and their kioke project to bring kioke-aged beer to life. – Mukai Shuzo in Kyoto, producers of Inemankai, which has been gathering attention and turning heads as of late. – Kumazawa Shuzo, makers of Tensei in Kanagawa, have put together a very rich, diverse, option-filled destination just a short trip from Tokyo. – In the Nada region (near Kobe), the big boys Hakutsuru, and Hakushika have invested in creating elaborate and well thought-out sake museums. – Okura Museum of Gekkeikan located in the Fushimi region of Kyoto (worth a visit in its own right!) is a fine destination. – Saijo region in Hiroshima, home to Kamotsuru, as well as 8 other breweries, is the Daigon Alley of the sake world. It also happens to be home to Japan’s largest annual sake festival, more-or-less the equivalent of a sake Oktoberfest. – Lake Suwa in Nagano, home to Miyasaka Sake Co. (makers of Masumi), as well as several other local breweries all within walking distance of one-another is also a beautiful destination. – The Takayama region (Gifu Prefecture) is popping up on a lot of itineraries as of late. Funasaka Shuzo is a highlight. Heading deeper into the countryside of Hida to explore the satoyama is a great way to visit some more great breweries. – Tokyo has a lot of offer as well! An Ishikawa Brewery visit can integrate beer and soba! Sake tours! Sawanoi is in the area, home to plenty of great food and hiking. Enjoy the gardens at Tamura. – A short shinkansen trip to Uonuma no Sato is the home of Hakkaisan. More than enough great food and product, as well as tours and tastings to fill an entire day. New beer brewery on-site as well. A beautiful area at the foot of Mt. Hakkaisan. – Asahi Shuzo, producers of Kubota, are accessible from Nagaoka (Niigata Prefecture) and working to develop the area as a sake and cultural destination. – Fukumitsuya has great retails shops scattered throughout Tokyo. – Izumibashi in Ebina (Kanagawa Prefecture) will offer an introduction to sake from the local rice fields, a brewery tour and excellent dining with sake pairings. – Iinuma Honke has put together a really solid tour and educational program out in Chiba. – Noto Peninsula (Ishikawa Prefecture) is a beautiful, still a largely hidden secret and a culinary a foodie’s dreamland. The town of Wajima has 5 breweries all within walking distance, as well as some amazing urushi lacquerware. The amazing Sogen Sake Brewery has some neat tricks up its sleeve for visitors and those looking to invest a bit of time into their sake. – Azuma Rikishi in Tochigi has their Sake Cave, and a visit to Nishibori Shuzo, makers of Wakazakari, also makes for a great visit. – The Tone Numata region near Minakami in Gunma (also known as a great outdoors and adventure tourism destination) is home to a couple craft beer breweries, a winery, some great food, and

It was time to lay the groundwork for our up-and-coming explorations into the worlds of shochu and awamori. Welcome to Shochu 101 – class is in session. After picking the brains of a few bartending alchemists on the subject, we decided to put the Shochu Pro himself, Mr. Christopher Pellegrini, in the hotseat for 60 minutes in order to break down the fundamentals of both shochu and awamori. For those unacquainted the Japan’s indigenous distillates, this is a great place to start. Hopefully by the end we’ll have your interest piqued enough to inspire a shochu-filled holiday to come! What (can) shochu and awamori be made from? What are the 4 geographical indications for shochu and awamori and why? Is the word “honkaku” important? How did California pave the way for shochu’s market penetration in the U.S. while simultaneously setting communication around the beverage back a generation (or more)? It’s all of this (and more!) that we’ve got lined up for this semi-holiday edition of Sake On Air. We’re all hoping to get some much-needed rest and respite over the holidays, so while we plan to keep content flowing intermittently, if it feels like we’re a bit quiet in the coming weeks, it’s because we just need a bit of time in order to brew up some great things for 2019. A HUGE thanks to our listeners for all of your support in 2018. You are what make this all worthwhile and inspire us to do better each and every time in the studio. It’s only been about three months since we really got this show off the ground. We have a lot in store and we can’t wait to share more sake excitement in the coming year. As always, @sakeonair is where you can find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow along on Soundcloud. If you have time over the holidays as you soak up some tasty sake beverages, please do reach out to us at [email protected]. Of course, a nice review is always welcome, as well. Sake On Air is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center located in Tokyo and made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association. The show is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan, with Mr. Frank Walter making this audio journey possible. Happy Holidays & Kampai! Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

In recent weeks we’ve had the opportunity to sit down with some exciting guests for special events and interviews, and this week is no different. First, we’re finally giving some much-deserved attention to the world of shochu this week. Better yet, we were able to round up an amazing group of bartenders, mixologists and all-around beverage specialists that have been resetting the standards for quality and innovation in some of the world’s most recognized and lauded drinking and dining establishments across New York, London and Sydney. For those following the cocktail scene, everyone on the show this week likely needs little-to-no introduction.   We’re joined by Thomas Waugh, bartender and director of bar operations for Major Food Group in New York, overseeing establishments such as Dirty French, ZZ’s Clam Bar, The Pool Lounge, and others; as well as heading up the bar operations at Karasu, the izakaya-style Japanese restaurant and cocktail bar. We also welcome Mike Enright, owner and bartender at Sydney’s famous gin bar, The Barber Shop, often popping up on many Most Influential Bar and Bartender lists, both in Australia, as well is internationally. He’s even taken his mastery of gin to a new level with a line of gin-infused/inspired grooming products – a rather perfect pairing for a Barber Shop. Then we have Ryan Chetiyawardana, likely better known to everyone as Mr. Lyan. He’s the man responsible for White Lyan in London, the cocktail bar that shook up the industry when it opened in 2013, as well as Dandelyan, voted World’s Best Bar 2018, Cub, and Super Lyan. He might very well be one of the busiest men in the business. And last but certainly not least, we have Matthew Hunter, head bartender at the renowned Eleven Madison Park, ranked best restaurant in the world at 2017’s World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards.   A huge thanks to these gentlemen who were kind enough to join us for a quick chat, and a shochu tasting, following a whirlwind week-long journey throughout Kyushu, Japan’s southern island and motherland of shochu.   And, to top things off, for the second segment we travel to France to get our sake fix! Or shall a say, France comes to us! Right after successfully wrapping up another Salon Du Sake in Paris, Sake Samurai and organizer of France’s largest celebration of all-things-sake, Mr. Sylvain Huet, popped in to chat with us during his recent visit to Japan, where he was also organizing the first annual CMB-hosted Sake Selection awards in Mie Prefecture. We catch with Sylvain on what he’s been up to, the evolution of Salon du Sake, and what he’s excited about with regards to sake in Paris.   Sebastien and Justin guide you on this densely packed episode that traverses the globe, as well as bridges the worlds of sake and shochu. We hope you enjoy.   – 03:24 Interview with Matthew Hunter and Thomas Waugh – 15:04 Interview with Mike Enright and Ryan Chetiyawardana – 32:13 Interview with Sylvian Huet   @sakeonair is where you can find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can also find us on Soundcloud and YouTube (hopefully) very soon. Send your questions, comments, praise, criticisms, show ideas, and kind words to [email protected] A nice review is always welcome, as well. Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan, with Mr. Frank Walter making it all sound lovely. Thanks for listening. Kampai! Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

As promised, we’re back again for two straight weeks of live interviews straight from Aoyama Sake Flea, the bi-annual celebration of sake and craft culture, hosted in collaboration with Tokyo’s iconic Farmers Market @ UNU (United Nations University). This week, Sebastien and Justin are first joined by Dimitry Bulakh, director of twelv., Japan’s (the world’s!?) first premium organic sake bar, located here in Tokyo, as well as founder and director of Far East Grocery, specializing in organic teas from throughout Japan and across Asia. Dimitry has settled on a significant fine cross-section of two worlds that are much more closely related than they may appear at first glance. We chat with him about how he is utilizing both these worlds to create amazing beverage experiences as twelv., what it means to focus on “organic” or “natural” sake, the shared histories of both tea and sake, and what these two incredible beverages (and their corresponding struggling industries; at least in Japan) can learn from one-another in order to shape an exciting future for both. Next up, we delve into the relationship between tradition and innovation in the world of sake with two inspiring producers that are attacking the concept full-on from completely different ends of the spectrum. Here, Christopher Hughes steps in as we’re joined by Katsuhiko Miyasaka, next in line for the throne at Miyasaka Brewing Company, producers of the internationally renowned and revered Masumi brand sake. Since his return to the brewery after a stint of work in various fields and international adventure, he’s proactively taking the roots of Masumi and leveraging them to create sake, promotion, and events that are designed to bring the Nagano brewer’s traditions to an entirely new generation of sake lovers. Alongside Katsuhiko we also have Fumi Yasuda, the young and ambitious international sales representative for WAKAZE, one of Japan’s newest sake breweries that is crafting brews unlike the world has ever seen. Initially collaborating with breweries across Japan to prove their concept and shock the sake world to attention, they’ve now established one of Tokyo’s only sake brew pubs, Whim Sake and Tapas, where they now craft their own experimental brews, as well as doburoku and original lines of sake. They have their eyes set on opening a brewery in France in 2019. It’s a packed episode this week, and we’ll be back AGAIN next week with more interviews and insight from…someplace new! Note that the next Aoyama Sake Flea is scheduled for the Spring of 2019, on March 30-31. Stay tuned here for updates! And be sure to swing by the Farmers Market @ UNU if you find yourself wandering Tokyo over any weekend and are looking for some fantastic food, beverage, and people. As always, @sakeonair is where you can find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can also find us on Soundcloud and YouTube very soon. Send your questions, comments, show ideas, and kind words to [email protected] It also helps to leave us a nice review so that we can further share the sake love with more listeners like yourself. Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan. Thanks for listening. Kampai! Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air

Over the next couple weeks (yes, we’ll be going weekly for a short stint!) we’ll deviate a bit from our standard format, but that’s because we have something special lined up!   The fine folks at Aoyama Sake Flea, the bi-annual celebration of sake and craft culture, hosted in collaboration with Tokyo’s iconic Farmers Market @ UNU (United Nations University), reached out to the Sake On Air crew to see if we might be interested in hosting a few live shows at the festival.   You had us at “Sake”. (And “Festival”!)   Hosting four live recordings over two days, we brought in a number of really fascinating guests, both brewers, as well as those championing sake through a number of unique and different avenues all their own.   This week, we’re sending you the first 2 sessions from day one of the festival. For the first half of the show we’re joined by Masaki Yamada, events coordinator for the Farmers Market @ UNU, along with Akiko Shibata, president of Tokyo Sake-ten and head of business development for Niigata sake producer, Myoko Shuzo. Together we explore the nature of the farmers market in Tokyo and its role in bringing people together with sake producers and creating a culture around sake for a new generation. Now in its 9th incarnation, Aoyama Sake Flea is now gearing up for its round 10, scheduled for March 30-31 in 2019 – and they’d love to integrate international brewers and artisans for the next round! To all those championing sake abroad, listen up on how you might be able to take part in one of Tokyo’s most homegrown, community driven sake festival that puts the producers at the forefront.   For the second segment, we’re joined by none other than the talented and inspiring Nancy Singleton Hachisu, author of the recently released, Japan: The Cookbook, as well as the game-changing, Japanese Farm Food, and the lifestyle staple, Preserving the Japanese Way. We managed to coax her away from the farm (and work on her next book!) in Saitama to join us for a mid-day “Kampai!” to discuss, not only her new book and recent projects, but primarily how she views the role of sake in cooking. Now when we say “sake”, remember that in Japan, “sake” refers to all varieties of alcohol. For our purposes, we focus primarily on the sake that our listeners all know and love, as well as spend a good amount of time delving into the magic of mirin, as well. Not to mention the delicious and versatile offshoots from the world of sake, such as sake-kasu, amazake, rice koji, as well as sake crafted specifically for culinary purposes.   Links for some of the products and producers that Nancy mentions are below: – Mikawa Mirin – Yamaki Jozo – Terada Honke – Imayotsukasa Shuzo – Kidoizumi Shuzo – Great “ryori-shu”, or, additive-free and naturally brewed “cooking sake”, like this one from Okidaikichi Honten, makers of the fantastic Shizengo line of sake. (Sorry, not much English info available…) – Black Market Sake   Part 1: Farmers Market & Aoyama Sake Flea (w/ Akiko Shibata & Masaki Yamada) 2:19-20:05 Part 2: Bettering our Food with Sake (w/ Nancy Singleton Hachisu) 20:30-49:08   Your hosts for these special outings this time around are Christopher Pellegrini, Christopher Hughes, and Justin Potts. (We try to keep good rotation around here in order to keep things fresh.)   As always, @sakeonair is where you can find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can also find us on Soundcloud and YouTube very soon.   Send your questions, comments, show ideas, and kind words to [email protected]   It also helps to leave us a nice review so that we can further share the sake love with more listeners like yourself.   Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan.   Thanks for listening.   Kampai!   Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

EP 2 – State of the Industry: Japan How in the world did we get here? Where exactly are we? Where is all this headed? These are the themes that Christopher Hughes, Sebastien Lemoine and Justin Potts share, ponder and discuss on this episode of Sake on Air. From tax laws to land reform, market perception to distribution, we try to apply a bit of context for the current state that the sake industry (in Japan) is in. Looking strictly at the numbers, things appear a bit dire. But looking at what’s been taking place here on the ground in recent years, there’s nothing but excitement as to how far the industry could develop, the shape it could take, and what sake has the potential to become. Here’s the thing: this is a massive topic. Here’s the reality: there’s a bit of rambling. Here’s what we’d love: for you to let us know specifically what you’d like to know more about. If you are interested in and care about what sake has in store for the world (we hope you do!), mail us at [email protected] and tell what you’d like us to find the answers to. What about the state of the industry interests you? What are you curious about? Give us the questions, and on a future episode, we’ll give you the answers. As this is our final warm-up(ish?) episode, we’re already planning a follow up on the topic. For the next round, instead of making it our episode, we’d rather make it yours. @sakeonair is where you can find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can also find us on Soundcloud and YouTube very soon. Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan. Please subscribe and maybe after a couple more episodes, once we’re up to speed and have ironed out the kinks a bit, you’re more than welcome to leave us a nice review to help us share the sake love with more listeners like yourself. Thanks for listening! Kampai! Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

And characters they are indeed! We’re giving ourselves one more “warm-up run” before we really dig in, so we thought it only made sense to round the team up at the bar and pass the tokkuri as we reminisce and share, “How did I get here?” stories. Plus, we wanted our listeners to get to know exactly who it is that will be guiding them on these twice-a-month journeys into the depths of the sake and shochu world – never to return! This week John Gauntner, Sebastien Lemoine, Christopher Hughes, Christopher Pellegrini, Shuso Imada and Justin Potts are all here playing musical chairs. For sake and shochu aficionados, these may be old friends, or possibly new faces (voices?). While we’re all here with the same goal in mind, we have rather different backgrounds and inspirations that have led us to where we are today, and as a result, equally unique approaches and perspective. This week’s episode serves as more of an introduction of sorts, but over the coming weeks and months we think you’ll find that the team’s varied experiences and interpretations on how the world of sake is expressing itself might inspire as many new questions as answers. We want to empower our listeners, not only with the information to help you all make the most out of your own sake and shochu experiences, but to also provide context and stories for how the industry got here, where it might be going, and empower everyone to find their own unique connection to the world of sake. As with just about anything, there are different opinions, styles, values and schools of thought. We hope that by trying to inspire a more diverse and varied dialogue around sake, we can inspire more people to engage with the infinitely deep and fascinating (not to mention, just really, really delicious!) world of sake. So this week, just kick back with your ochoko in-hand and a bottle of hiyaoroshi by your side (it’s autumn!) and get to know your navigators. This is just the beginning. As always, please send questions, feedback and show ideas to:[email protected] @sakeonair is where you can find us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. You can also find us on Soundcloud and YouTube very soon. Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan. Please subscribe and leave us a (good) review to help us share the sake love with more listeners like yourself. Kampai! The Sake On Air theme is: “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew

Episode 0 – Sneak Peek   Welcome! You’ve just stumbled upon a “sneak peek” at the new Sake On Air podcast, what is soon to be a bi-weekly production examining the stories, people, questions, and future of sake and shochu directly from Japan.   Recorded at the Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center, located in the heart of Tokyo, your hosts and members the SAKE 2020 team are setting out to deliver news, interviews, live broadcasts, and introduce new dialogue into the international sake stream of consciousness, straight from the front lines of the sake industry in Japan.   Your rotating team of hosts are:   John Gauntner Sebastien Lemoine Christopher Hughes Christopher Pellegrini Shuso Imada Justin Potts   This episode offers up just a small sip of what’s to come. Give it a listen, share with your sake-loving and shochu-curious friends, and come back to join us for more Sake On Air very soon.   Feel free to send questions, feedback and show ideas to: [email protected]   You can follow us for the latest updates by searching @sakeonair on both Instagram and Twitter, as well as on Facebook. You’ll also be able find us on Soundcloud and YouTube very soon.   Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, and is a joint production between Potts.K Productions and Export Japan.   Please subscribe and leave us a review to help us share the sake love with more listeners like yourself.   Kampai!   Our theme is “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air. *Snippets from this Sneak Peek also include the voice of Brian Polen, co-founder of Brooklyn Kura. The full interview will be coming your way very soon!