By Kosuke KujiThe last issue covered craft gin. This issue covers craft vodka. When we obtained a license to produce spirits, the spirits we were permitted to distill did not include “vodka” at the time. Vodka is a specialty of Russia with no need to force production in Japan, while gin was fast gai...

Chapter 1: What is the Origin of Sake? Introduction Sake production (brewing) requires rice “molded” with rice malt, thus the same classification as Chinese rice wine. Compared to the Korean sake production exactly matching the Chinese, Japanese sake varies greatly according to the mold type and sak...

By Ryuji TakahashiLast year, many could not travel to their hometown due to the impact from the coronavirus, thus celebrated the year-end/New Year at home. For this reason, Japanese sake sold in high volumes compared to the end of the previous year. High-end sake over 10,000 JPY also sold in high qu...

By Yuji MatsumotoFrom the beginning, the successful foreign alcoholic beverage in the U.S. is of course wine. Not limited to French or Italian restaurants, wine selections are also offered in Japanese, Chinese and Mexican restaurants as well. Moreover, supermarkets carry hundreds of wine selections,...

By Kosuke KujiThe last issue covered how the coronavirus pandemic inspired our production of craft gin and vodka as a new business. Although the initial plan was to produce gin only, the decision to also produce craft vodka was made along the way, which I’ll explain in another issue. First, Japan’s ...

Also, clean and dry sake mild in distinct flavor along with pure sake pairs well with any food. Aromatic sake and refreshing sake pair well with acidic foods or food prepared from bland food ingredients, while pure sake pairs well with simmered and stir-fried cuisines, food that line the dinner tabl...

By Ryuji Takahashi“All Nippon Product Fair,” titled traveling through Japan in three days, was organized by the Central Federation of Societies of Commerce and Industry, and held over three days in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo in the Sunshine City building complex from November 19-21. This produc...

By Yuji MaatsumotoI was blessed with an opportunity to attend a lecture targeting salesmen for a wholesaler of Japanese food products in the U.S. The attendees handle various Japanese food products including sake. The theme of the lecture was not so much about the consumer’s question of “Which sake ...

By Kosuke KujiThe widespread novel coronavirus depleted supplies of rubbing alcohol across Japan early in the pandemic and created a supply shortage. Therefore, regulations were relaxed on an emergency basis for sake breweries like my own to produce rubbing alcohol, as I wrote before in this series....

Bad pairing refers to the delicious flavor diminished when sake is paired with food. Depending on the combination, the sake flavor may counter the flavor of the food, generating unpleasant aroma and texture. In many cases for example, sake may enhance the odor of fish and seafood. On the other hand,...