Sake On Air

28/07/2024

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure to interview from Imadeya and did not miss the opportunity to visit Maksim a little while back.

As Sebastien put it:

“A shopping day in Ginza ... with a focus on Imadeya sake store, where Maksim introduced me to some of the beauties of the Imadeya Aging Lab. I envy his job!”

If you are not sure who we are talking about, what Imadeya in Ginza is and why not just Sebastien but all of us are envious of Maksims job, then make sure to listen to our interview with him.

You can tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/2024/07/12/selling-sake-in-ginza-with-maksim-polkin/

More Sake on Air coming your way very soon, until then enjoy your Sunday and Kampai!

20/07/2024

This week we are excited to welcome not just one, but two amazing guests to our table Yu Nakamura and Nattinee Sirirattanapol, or Pam for short, who are changing the face of sake in Thailand with an array of amazing projects and collaborations! 🔥

So join us as one of our regular hosts Chris Hughes sat down with them at our base the 日本の酒情報館 Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in the heart of Tokyo for a chat with them. Find out what brought them together and how they got into sake.

Their company TASTE HUNTERS, especially their brand Sake Seeker had caught our attention before, so we were eager to learn more about it. For this interview, we were incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to join one of their events in Tokyo. “Sake Seeker” was in town to showcase a fusion of modern Thai food and sake. Needless to say, we were excited to experience just how amazing these combinations of food and sake are firsthand.

So prepare yourself as in this episode, we not only learn more about the Thai sake market but also venture a little bit in the the world of food. Make sure to tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/2024/07/18/finding-sake-seeker-thai-food-and-sake/

�We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air.

Until then, kampai!

12/07/2024

We're officially back from our summer break and excited to share an interview we did with Maksim Polkin of Imadeya, one of Japan's most well-known sake distributors!

We talked with Maksim about how he found himself in Japan and what brought him to the world of Sake, with the conversation winding through the forest of sake retail, the needs of different markets, and how Imadeya sees itself in the industry.

Make sure to tune in here https://sakeonair.com/2024/07/12/selling-sake-in-ginza-with-maksim-polkin/

And if you do have a chance, pop into Imadeya in Ginza when you are in Tokyo to say “hi” and pick up a couple of bottles of sake as you are there!

12/07/2024

If you are curious to find out more about why shochu and awamori are so unique in terms of their distilling process look no further, as Christopher Pellegrini has laid it all out in a recent blog post 😉

We've learned that the first distillation of alcohol was a Muslim discovery, and what is now termed pot distillation was the original method.

10/07/2024

We are almost back from our Summer break and before we release our first episode (an interview with someone many of our Tokyo-based listeners will know quite well... 😉), we have some exciting news to announce! 📣

The Sake on Air Team is growing again and we are thrilled to share that the wonderful Miho Ota has joined the team as a Project Manager (and possibly an array of many other things)!

In case you are unfamiliar with her work, Miho is a freelance writer, translator, and content creator based in Tokyo. She has contributed articles on traveling, traditional culture and drinks to newspapers, websites and printed publications and one of her passion projects includes creating an English sake booklet series called SAKEBU.

She has also curated the “Kokushu Digital Museum”, an online museum featuring the culture and history of sake and Shochu, for which we interviewed her and you can still listen to it here:https://sakeonair.com/2022/01/12/digital-kokushu-museum/

More from us very soon as our next podcast will be released in the next couple of days, so stay tuned!

07/07/2024

What a great couple of days at the 16th instalment of the “All Japan Sake Fair” in Tokyo this weekend! 🍶

Of course, we headed over to Sunshine City in Ikebukuro to join the crowds for what we believe is possibly the number one sake event here in Japan!

So what did we think about this year’s rendition?

How Chris Hughes put it: “ I was surprised by the sake that brewers brought for tasting, including regional (locally limited products & special brands) and rare sake - a lot which I had never tasted. It was great from a discovery perspective and I would be curious to learn the strategy behind this. It was also amazing to be able to meet and speak with brewers, which some, I haven't seen in ages. Yes, the space was a bit smaller this year compared to before, but I thought the organizers handled capacity well. Although attending 2 out of 3 sessions it still wasn't enough to taste every single sake and speak with every single brewer, but it was still a lot of fun. Can't wait for next year.”

And John Gauntner, who has been to many of these over the years commenting how cool, yet a little surprising it was to see more high level brewery support behind the counters. Meaning Kuromatos or head brewers.

As well as Cindy Bissig pointing out the addition of information & educational booths as well as their “English Ok!” Languages support making the event even easier to navigate and attractive to both sake newcomers and long term enthusiasts 👍

If you missed it make sure to add this to your sake calendar next year - we will definitely be there!

#日本酒祭り

06/07/2024

If you are heading to the "Sake Fair" in Tokyo's Ikebukuro today, make sure to check out the "Ishikawa Sake for the Revival of Noto" booth!

Aside from a chance to sample some amazing sake from the region, you can also get to meet some of the brewers and these people do still need our support, so if you are at the event do pop over and let them know.

The Ishikawa Prefecture Sake Brewers Association has released 18 Noto Reconstruction Support Sake brands nationwide to support the victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake and the affected breweries, so one way to support them is to buy these or other sake from the region if you can find/afford it ❤️

More info about the project can be found here (JP only): https://www.ishikawa-sake.jp/p101.html

27/06/2024

Last night saw another great event organized by the 日本の酒情報館 Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center, as they continue to bring talented people together on a regular basis to promote Shochu and awamori, including a steady stream of bartenders! 🥃🍸🍹

Both Marie Nagata and Christopher Pellegrini were part of the event and this is what Chris had to say about it:

“Last night guests were treated to a presentation and cocktails courtesy of Yukino Sato, head bartender at Folklore, a short walk from Shinbashi Station.

After briefly introducing the bars within the Mixology group, she spent a good deal of time explaining the various reasons why shochu (and awamori) are so valuable for cocktail development. It was especially enlightening to hear her compare shochu with other popular spirits like mezcal and whisk(e)y.

The first cocktail we tried was called Aroma Fresca (low-proof cocktail), and the second was Creamy Nuts (I giggled, too).

Aroma Fresca
40 ml Miyagahama Aroma Sweet Potato Shochu
20 ml Sauternes
20 ml Kagoshima Kocha (tea)
10 ml milk punch
5 ml citric acid

Creamy Nuts
35 ml Aokage Barley Shochu
10 ml Homemade Peanut Butter Vodka
20 ml Campari
20 ml Sweet Vermouth
20 ml cream

Yukino is one of only a handful of bartenders in the city who is truly experimenting with Japan’s native spirits in her cocktails, and she’s very good at it. I recommend stopping by Folklore when you’re over on the east side of downtown 😉

Kanpai!”

23/06/2024

We have officially entered the rainy season here in Japan, which for many of us means spending quite a bit more time in the comfort of our air-conditioned homes and if that also describes you, you might be looking for something to do, or listen to while indoors 😉

So why not make it our two-in-one Shochu with Maya Aley (pictured below) and Sake with Jamie Graves episode and learn a bit more about both of our favorite beverages?

Tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/2019/05/17/ep-16-shochu-with-maya-aley-and-sake-with-jamie-graves/

We will soon be back from our break, until then kanpai!

11/06/2024

We are used to see plenty of sake festivals all throughout the year, but this event focuses entirely on Awamori and Shochu!!!

So for anyone in the south of Japan or willing to travel (it certainly makes for a great excuse) this is a very unique chance to sample and meet the makers!

Calling all Honkaku Shochu & Awamori lovers!
Join us at the Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka for the Honkaku Shochu, Awamori & Food Festival 2024!
What you’ll see at the festival:
1. Taste countless varieties and find your favorite one.
2. Meet and chat with over 70 distilleries from throughout Japan.
3. Buy your favorite bottle and take it home to enjoy.
4. Try award-winning Honkaku Shochu, Awamori, and Shochu cocktails.

Don’t miss this perfect chance to deepen your Shochu & Awamori world!
📅 Dates: July 13 (Sat) 12 PM - 8 PM & 14 (Sun) 10 AM - 5 PM
📍 Venue: MIZUHO PayPay Dome Fukuoka
🎟️ Tickets: 500 yen (advance) | 800 yen (door)
Get the ticket and further details: https://shochufes.jp/english/

06/06/2024

The IWC sake results are out and we are excited to see the results! 🎊

Huge congratulations to all the makers who were awarded medals or commendations this year, it has certainly been a good year with 93 gold medals and a total of 1343 awards given!!!

03/06/2024

We've got some exciting changes coming!

There'll be a brief pause in new episodes for a few weeks, so we'll be sharing updates and a look back at past SOA episodes and events worth revisiting in the meantime, like our Episode #44: Natsuzake is Summer Sake 😉

Tune in to learn more about the seasonal sake that just hit the shelves here in Japan: https://sakeonair.com/2020/08/14/natsuzake-is-summer-sake/
..and of course, let us know if you have any favourites!

03/06/2024

It is that time of the year and we once again had the chance to join "Sakabayashi" as they organized a sake rice planting event in the south of Kyoto! 🌾

Despite the initially weary weather, about 200 people made the journey, including lots of families with kids to join and get their feed dirty in these organic rice fields.

Naturally, as the job was done to be treated to some great food and of course sake from the participating breweries (Joyo Shuzo, Saito Shuzo and Tokubei Masuda Shoten) who made sure there was plenty of sake to go around!

30/05/2024

This is one event that has a solid place on our Sake Calendar and if you are in Japan and into sake, really is a must-visit!

Tickets do often sell out for some sessions, so make sure to get yours early if you want to join 😉

Meet Kuramotos and Taste Sake in Tokyo!!!
📢Sake Fair 2024 Tickets Now on Sale📢

Experience the world’s largest sake event, featuring around 400 breweries and over 1,300 varieties of sake to taste at Ikebukuro Sunshine City, Tokyo🍶
This year, tickets are available for purchase from overseas as well!

📅Save the dates: July 5th and 6th
🔔Get your tickets here: https://www.sakefair.com/index_en.html
Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association

25/05/2024

Great to see Elliot Faber out and promoting sake at Singapore’s Sake Matsuri this Month!🍶

Of course this Sake Samurai needs no introduction and it was interesting to see and taste the beverages he curated for this specific event.

However, if you are not familiar with the array of things he is involved with, our Episode-97: Constructing a Sake Ecosystem with Elliot Faber will remedy that 😉

Just tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/2023/02/11/constructing-a-sake-ecosystem-with-elliot-faber/

21/05/2024

Many of you know Justin has found a new home in Arkansas Hot Spring following a unique opportunity to join the team at Origami Sake and he just shared a little insight into what the brewery is up to 😉

13/05/2024

We are back with a new Episode of Sake On Air!

This week Chris Hughes continues our discussion of contract brewing sake with a conversation with Nathaniel Hoy. We started this series with Episode-117: A Sake of Your Own: Contract Brewing Sake.

Nathaniel describes himself as just a sake enthusiast, but he is much more than that. Aside from collecting professional sake certifications, Nate worked at Kintora Shuzo in Nagoya during the Pandemic. He still spends much of his time promoting the brewery. He is also the creator of “En” a custom-brewed sake that he made with Sekiya Brewery Ginjo Koubou. The way he went about deciding what kind of sake to make left even Chris rather surprised.

In this episode, we learn more about the process of custom ordering sake. We also learn about Nate’s special relationship with Sekiya Brewery, and how that enabled him to make a fully unique sake.

Tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/2024/05/08/designing-your-own-sake-with-nathaniel-hoy/

Kanpai!

03/05/2024

Join us in congratulating Tomomi Duquette on winning the Mrs SAKE competition, a new pageant format that is part of the Miss & Mrs Sake competition, which is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the National Tax Agency, as well as the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, and others!👏

The first Miss SAKE was crowned at a competition held in October 2013, and for the past 10 years, they have been working to raise awareness of Japanese food and culture through sake, attract tourists to Japan and the people chosen for the Mr & Mrs sake are seen as ambassadors promoting sake.

Many of you will be familiar with Tomomi Duquette and her project “Niigata Sake Lovers”, but for those who don’t, she did join us for our Episode #91: "Sake Travel Episode 4: Niigata City" to share her extensive knowledge of the area and her passion for sake and promoting it!

If you have not listened to it, you can tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/2022/10/19/sake-travel-episode-4-niigata-city/

We are looking forward to meeting Tomomi more regularly, as part of her title will have her join lots of sake events - congrats & kanpai! 👏

NNiigata Sake Lovers

24/04/2024

Sake serendipity.

It was a great surprise for Sebastien and Fabio Ota to bump into each other at Komai san’s brewery Hachinohe Shuzou, makers of Mutsu Hassen in Aomori.

Fabio is the founder and CEO of Megasake, promoting sake culture in Brazil, and was recently awarded the sake samurai title. Their first encounter was on video only, for Episode #112: Sake in Brazil with Fabio Ota!

If you have not listened to it yet, you can still do so here: https://sakeonair.com/2023/11/29/sake-in-brazil-with-fabio-ota/

21/04/2024

Sneak peek at Craft Sake Week from this Weekend! 🔥

The worlds largest sake festival is in full swing so if you do find yourself in Tokyo with a coupe of hours to spare and an interesting sake and good food make sure to head to Roppongi Hills!

And if you have never been but curious about it? Then also make sure to tune into our last podcast: Episode-119: Craft Sake Week with Rebekah Wilson Lye here: https://sakeonair.com/2024/04/13/craft-sake-week-with-rebekah-wilson-lye/

15/04/2024

There are a variety of events and festivals on the sake calendar, but some more hidden and often only observed and frequented by the people who make sake 🍶

Many people come to Matsunoo Taisha in Kyotos Arashiyama for the New Year's celebrations but there are other yet significant smaller events. Like this morning, as many sake brewers and miso makers came to the shrine for “中酉祭” to give thanks for the brewing year. A small yet important ceremony held each year in April.

15/04/2024

We are back with a new episode of Sake On Air - just in time for the world's largest sake event: Craft Sake Week in Tokyo!

This year bigger than ever and in its 8th installment CSW is promising to top everything we have seen before. With even more “extra time”, it will run over 12 days (kicking off on the 18th of April and finishing on the 29th of April 2024), showcasing 120 breweries from all around Japan bringing some of the best brews available including sake we do not often see at similar events. Accompanied by some of the best food Tokyo has to offer in a stunning space featuring Taichi Kuma’s fabulous art installations, as well as the chance to experience an electrifying lineup of DJs and performers that will elevate your evening with unforgettable entertainment.

We were excited for Sebastien Lemoin and Cindy Bissig to talk to the one and only Rebekah Wilson Lye, who aside from being a regular host on Sake On Air is also deeply involved in the event and has shared with us her highlights, insights, and CSW hacks to make the most of it!

Make sure to tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/2024/04/13/craft-sake-week-with-rebekah-wilson-lye/

And make sure to come and say "hi" if you spot us during the festival!
Kampai!

08/04/2024

This is what it looks like when Kyoto sake brewers come out for a fun event at Toei Eiga Mura, an edo theme park/film studio for a special event 😆

Can you guess these brewers/breweries?
.hint: 👀->🍶

#日本酒

04/04/2024

We are back with a new episode and this week we are chatting with Grace Hunt, Chief Operating Officer at Toku Sake as well Greg Lambrecht, inventor and Chairman of Coravin.

For anyone unfamiliar with Coravin, it is a device aimed at preserving the flavors of wine (and sake) in the bottle after indulging oneself with one glass or two.

Our regular host Sebastien Lemoine will chat about Coravin’s history and how the device works, in general and for sake. As a matter of fact, the specific sake device is a result of a research project launched by Toku Sake in collaboration with the British Sake Association.

So make sure to tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/2024/03/30/preserving-the-flavors-of-sake/

There’s more Sake On Air headed your way again in just a couple of weeks.

Until then, kampai!

31/03/2024

This weekend has seen the first installment of what we think will become a regular event on the Kansai Sake Calendar - Sake World Summit!

With 54 Sake booths featuring sake from all around Japan (and 15 restaurants joining on the gourmet side), people flocked to Kyoto yesterday to try some of the “hottest” brands including some of our favorite Craft Sake Breweries, as well as a chance to try some brews from Islander Sake Brewer, who made it to Kyoto all the way from Hawaii!

The event also dealt with various topics considering the future of sake and explored trending topics such as aged sake as well as exploring new technologies. They introduce “Sake NFT’s”, which not only serve as digital tokens of your favorite sake brand but also double as an ordering- and storage- system of the NFT’s respective sake.

Sounds complicated? Yes, it does, and frankly, we are still a bit unsure of the benefits ourselves. The organizer claims that the biggest feature of this service is the opportunity to create new markets for distributing sake between individuals, which in this case would not need a liquor sales license to do so…

An interesting point of few and solution to circumvent that problem, certainly something we will keep an eye on in the future 😉

26/03/2024

We are back with a new Episode and this week Justin Potts, Chris Hughes, and Sebastien Lemoine discuss the growing trend of sake companies making special sakes for clients and/or partners.

The conversation covers the benefits to both established breweries and entrepreneurs trying out their ideas before having to establish their own brewery as well as the differences between partnership sakes, private brand sake, and OEM sake.

Tune in here: https://sakeonair.com/2024/03/23/contract-sake-part-1/

And as always, let us know what you think in the comments below 😉