Ishigaki Island sake, Aramasa wooden barrels, Kan sake awards, Sake tank saunas, COEDO and Haccoba, Yeast #9 and more ..read more

Omachi events in Taiwan and HK, Godzilla sakes, Asamai Shuzō wine, Sake Provenance Seal™, Sake tours for jet setters, Takara Yama Shuzō bankruptcy, Kōji making machine, Yamagata flooding & Sake tax ..read more

Welcome to Issue #116 of SIN. The rainy season might be just about over, but summer is just starting so it’s time to crank the air conditioning and bust out the aloha shirts. As it's the time of year when most breweries have packed away the tools for a few months, it’s also the perfect time of the year for tasting events - and there’s been plenty of those! Meeting brewers and getting to talk about their sake and the stories behind them is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. Glassware, pottery vessels, mood, and food pairings can all enhance the enjoyment and flavor of sake, but the one ..read more

Welcome to Issue#115 of SIN. Two significant things happen around this time of year: rice planting, and the “rainy season”. One of these brings more joy than the other. Many farmers have planted their rice-plant seedlings for the impending growing season, which will run from now, through the summer, and into the fall. The rice harvested in September or October will be used to brew sake in late 2024. Predictions are for another mercury-busting summer, which will likely mean a less-than-favorable harvest of hard rice. However, all is not lost. Many brewers are skilled enough that the quality of ..read more

Welcome to Issue #114 of SIN. (Apologies: Due to logistics there is no audio version of this issue) This issue is fairly heavy on awards news. Yes, it’s that time of year when the brewers of Japan submit the fruits of their labor to judging panels locally and all around the world in return for criticism, praise and - hopefully - medals. Awards and competitions for sake can be a polarizing topic. It’s easy to spot flaws in the system. Some breweries are known for a scattershot approach of throwing as much sake at as many competitions as possible in hopes of getting multiple hits, or at least a ..read more

Welcome to Issue #113 of SIN. All the signs are there that summer is on its way as fridges around town can be seen teeming with seasonal summer sake. And when the impossibly humid summer heat turns up here in Japan, light, dry, low-alcohol sake starts to look pretty attractive. Will it be another record breaking summer that leaves us hibernating in our air conditioned abodes, hiding from the elements till it all goes away? Some reports are saying it will be. We’ll just have to wait and see, but as long as there’s some of that crisp summer sake in the fridge, we just might make it through. And ..read more

Welcome to Issue #112 of SIN. A few days ago on May 12, Japan and many other countries celebrated Mother’s Day. In the lead up to the big day there were plenty of signs and displays in stores offering all sorts of “mother-appropriate” gifts such as cosmetics, jewelry, flowers, sweets - the usual. In a number of department stores it was interesting to see the odd bottle of rosé or sparkling wine being suggested, however it was rather glaringly obvious that sake was not being considered worthy of promotion as a potential gift. Now, this may just be a case of the stores and breweries knowing thei ..read more

Welcome to Issue #111 of SIN. The sake festival season is in full swing here in Japan. The Niigata Sake no Jin wrapped up a few weeks back, then there was Sake Spring in Kyoto, Kamigata Nihonshu World in Osaka, and Tokyo has just enjoyed a week of indulgence with Craft Sake Week. And that’s just some of the events in the major cities. Sake events are all over the place this time of year and it’s a great time to get out, try some sake and meet some of the brewers. The good news is that they’re not over yet, so if you have the means, get out and enjoy some sake - wherever you are. And now for ..read more

Welcome to Issue#110 of SIN. Last issue we announced the blooming of this year’s cherry blossoms, and now this issue sees them beginning to fall. Such a brief window of Japan’s nature and culture, yet it garners so much attention every year.  Now, perhaps, dear reader, you’re not interested in cherry blossoms. Maybe you’ve come here for the sake! And you know what? That’s okay. So much of Japanese culture is tied into the rich history of sake, but is it entirely necessary to appreciate every aspect of Japanese culture in order to appreciate sake? Not at all. Does an appreciation for the o ..read more

Welcome to Issue #108 of SIN. The calendar says we are two weeks into spring, but aside from the occasional plum blossom sighting, the only indicator that we are in spring is the spotting of spring sake in the liquor store fridges. The seasonality of sake is one of its most appealing features, and something that can bolster its appeal to overseas drinkers. If only the whole world was on the same calendar…Still, it does help in promoting the concept that there is a sake for every season. And now for the news… Everyone Relax! The EU Is Going To Be Okay! Belgium- In our last issue we sounded a ..read more