This time getting out of my comfort zone paid off! I would normally choose a sake with a more traditional-looking label, possibly kimoto or yamahai style, so a junmai ginjo with a graffiti-like label isn’t exactly my first choice. Totally pink, bottle included, on top of it. Needless to say, my first reaction to this bottle was “pass”. But then I remembered my own advice to once in a while get out of the comfort zone to try new sake and keep curious. So I went back, grabbed it, and went to the register. Once home, the more I stared at the bottle the more I thought about how I wasn’t going to ..read more

Bekuhai is a traditional drinking game from Kochi prefecture and includes a set of 3 uniquely shaped sake cups and a six-sided spinning top The word bekuhai in kanji is 可杯 and 可 in Chinese literature can't be placed at the end of the sentence, therefore the cups can’t be put down before finishing the sake 「可」の字は、漢文では「可何々」（何々すべし）と書き、下にはつけない字であるため、下に置けない杯を「可杯」と呼ぶようになったそうです。 The rules of the game are very simple, the players will take turns spinning the top. Once it stops, the player the top is pointing to has to drink from the cup drawn on the top side of the spinning top. While its spinning, t ..read more

The label of this sake is already telling us a story. To me, this is more than just the name of the sake, it is Hermeticism. It’s the Italian version of a haiku. This sake comes from Fukuoka, in the Kyushu Island, and it’s brewed by Mii No Kotobuki. Founded in 1922, this brewery has a very intriguing line up. A lot of their sake has Italian names, references to manga (i.e. Slum Dunk) or labels that make you want to grab them just because they are so darn cute. A good marketing strategy, if you ask me. ​ In Autunno (in autumn) Porcini (you know, like the mushroom) is their autumn sake, also kno ..read more

This sake is intriguing just by looking at the label. It’s a scroll-like white label with a thousand mysterious kanji written all over, and they tell you the story of Kiyomori and how it all started. Enoki Shuzo, the brewery that makes this nigori kijoshu, was founded in 1899 and it’s located in Ondo-cho, Kure in Hiroshima. In the 1970’ this brewery brought back to life a very traditional method of brewing sake that dates back to the Heian Period (794-1185). The proof of the existence of this sake, called Kijoshu, is also found in the Engi Shiki (927), a book about Japanese customs and laws. T ..read more

I admit that a big reason why I bought this sake is the label, but what can I say? It does its job brilliantly. This super cute Halloween inspired sake is brewed by Takachiyo brewery in the Niigata prefecture. The brewery has been around for more than 150 years and they are very particular with their sake. Takachiyo brews its sake using a type of sakamai, or sake rice, called Ipponjime. Ipponjime was created in Niigata by combining Gohyakumangoku and Houmai rice. Similarly to Gohyakumangoku it produces a dry and clean style sake, but with a good boost of umami. What is really special about thi ..read more

Mutsu Hassen Natural Sparkling is brewed in the Aomori Prefecture, in the Northern part of the Honshu Island, by Hachinoe brewery. Founded in 1740, Hachinoe has a long history of brewing and it is making its best effort in being environmentally friendly. In fact, it uses local resources such as water, yeast and rice. Hachinoe’s line up includes many delicious sake and Mutsu Hassen Natural Sparkling truly is one of their highlights. Mutsu Hassen is a sparkling sake with 13% alcohol, which is slightly lower than most sake. It has a pearl-like color and it is very gentle on the nose with an intri ..read more