Sake Revolution

Chris Johnson, The Sake Ninja, shares his 3-year experience in rural Oita, Japan. Topics include local customs, food culture, hot springs, and sake tasting. Tales of the Seven Hells, sumo wrestling, and drinking games add to the charm of Oita. Explore what this region has to offer with insights from a Sake expert.

Discover the world of innovative sake packaging with the Kikusui Funaguchi 'Smart Pouch', a modern twist on traditional bottles. Learn how this pouch combines the convenience of a Capri Sun with the quality of boxed wine. Explore the unique design features that make dispensing easy and oxidation-free, perfect for casual gatherings. Uncover the future of sake packaging and its potential impact on the industry.

Discover the world of unique sake packaging beyond glass bottles, like Tetra Pak Juice Boxes. John and Tim explore the practicality and creativity of unconventional packaging, tasting Futsusu sake from a juice box. They discuss cultural perspectives on sake packaging and the child-friendly appeal of funky designs, making this a fun and informative episode.

Explore the fruity aromas of CEL-24 sake yeast, developed to meet market demands. Delve into the impact of yeast on sake's aromatics and discover the bold apple, pineapple, and fruit aromas. Learn about the origins of Ginjo boom and the intense flavors of CEL-24 sake, known for its divisive nature among consumers. Join the hosts in exploring the world of sake yeast and the boundaries of fruity sake styles

Exploring the impact of a devastating earthquake on sake breweries in Ishikawa Prefecture, with a focus on supporting the recovery efforts. Highlighting the challenges faced by breweries, showcasing the Hakuto Tokubetsu Junmai sake, and emphasizing the importance of ordering sake from the affected regions to aid in their rebuilding process.

Episode 163. Word on the street is that travel to Japan is surging! One of the joys of travel to Japan is returning with a suitcase full of sake! But how best to do it?! This week, John and Timothy discuss the ins and outs of bringing back sake from Japan.  What's allowed and what's not!  Where to buy sake and how to package it.  Import duties and duty free shops!  If you want the lowdown on our experience bringing sake home from travel to Japan, this episode is for you. Let's UNPACK these topics and taste some of the sake (not for sale in the U.S.) we brought back ourselves.     #SakeRevolutionSupport the show

Join Tim and John in this recap of their sake adventures in 2023, where they share favorite sake stories and episodes. Discover the history and taste of Brooklyn Quora Blue Door June Mind Nama Sake, hear about setting sake resolutions, trying sake cosmetics, and exploring Golden Week in Japan. And don't forget to show gratitude to listeners for their support!

Episode 161. This week, John and Timothy explore another brand profile: Masumi from Miyasaka Jozo in Nagano Prefecture. Most well known as the birthplace of Association Number 7 sake yeast, Masumi has a long history dating back to 1662.  Located on beautiful Lake Suwa, Masumi is a brand that is well known outside of Japan.  The brand name of "Masumi" means transparency or truth and traces its origin to an ancient bronze mirror, which is a treasure of the local shrine and is the proverbial "mirror of truth".  Masumi also recently updated their label design and sake portfolio to tie into their legacy as the home of number 7 sake yeast - a yeast that has gone on to become the most widely used sake yeast in the industry. Let's explore the flavors and history of Masumi together!  #SakeRevolutionSupport the show

Episode 160. It's time to get wild again! Wild about sake rice, that is.  Wild Rice is our series where we look closer at different strains of sake rice and what makes them unique.  This time around, we look to a rice native to Hiroshima Prefecture - Hattannishiki.  Known to not grow as tall as other sake rice, but still have a well developed shinpaku (starchy core) Hattannishiki is a fairly modern rice, as it was developed in the 1970's. Let's dive in and see what flavors Hattannishiki has in store for us! #sakerevolutionSupport the show

Episode 159. Week in and week out, our standard gear for tasting and evaluating sake is a simple wine glass. This works really well and almost everybody has one nearby. But in Japan, there are a wide variety of shapes, materials and sizes used to make cups for drinking sake. That got us wondering if we should take some other cups out for a test drive and compare them to our usual stemware. This week we are exploring Guinomi. This style of sake cup is a larger sibling to the standard ochoko, holding more sake per pour and often having a more rustic texture. The "GUI" of gui-nomi is an onomatopoeia for the glug-glug-glug sound, indicating perhaps a sake cup that is well suited for gulping sake!  How does this cup stack up against our standard wine glass?  Tune in this week to find out! #sakerevolutionSupport the show