Sake Revolution

Season 1. Episode 40.  Today we focus on another "Sake Spotlight" - this time it is the far north prefecture of Iwate.  This is a rural and and sparsely populated part of the country with a total of approximately 20 sake breweries total.  Lots of snow and agriculture, too. Despite it's remote location, sakes from Iwate have made their way around the world and Tim and John will taste two stellar examples of Iwate sake in this spotlight. We explore two well known Iwate brands - Nanbu Bijin and Tsukinowa. If you need a break from sake for any reason, be sure to try the gently competitive "Wanko Soba" challenge which is native to Iwate.  Sake and Soba have ever had a better pairing!   Join us as we dive deep into all things Iwate!Support the show

Season 1. Episode 39.  New Year's resolutions come in all shapes and sizes, but we here on the podcast are looking at our Revolution Resolutions - namely, our sake goals for 2021!  The New year is one of the most important holidays in Japan.  The Japanese flock to their local shinto shrine to pray for a healthy and auspicious new year.  One tradition that is a bit less common is the drinking of Otoso sake.  This is a medicinal sake infused with herbs and spices (cinnamon, ginger, pepper etc).  Tim and John step into the new year with some new sake goals for the new year.  For Tim, it is to drink outside his comfort zone, and as a good first step, he brings in a sweet Junmai Nigori.  John wants to buy more sake locally and hits the japckpot when he finds some wonderful premium sake at his local liquor store.  Here is a toast to 2021, hoping it brings us all more of the sake we love.Support the show

A quick look back on Sake Revolution 2020 and a few hints about whats coming up for 2021.  Happy New Year from Sake Revolution!Support the show

Season 1. Episode 38. As a follow up to Episode 22, where we met John's wife Myshell, and explored a bit what its like to be married to a sake nerd, this week the tables are turned!  Let's meet Scott, Tim's better half!  When you're not really a drinker, how much sake know-how do you really absorb over 15 years of tagging along to tastings, sake events and pairing dinners?  ...a lot more than you'd think!  Listen in as Scott tells us his favorite style of sake to pair with Sushi and he also brings one of his favorite sakes to taste with the hosts.  We are talking the smooth, creamy and cloudy Kamoizumi Ginjo Nigori.  Who doesn't love a sake that pairs with chocolate cookies that are bigger than a hockey puck?  Scott also explains some of the sake adventures he has had with Tim including a trans-pacific sake cruise and surviving the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake that struck 20 minutes before their Japan vacation was set to begin. There's a lot to explore and a few laughs along the way.  And if you're not in the mood for sake, just tell 'em you'd like a Manhattan instead.Support the show

Season 1. Episode 37. You’ve got the Avengers, and your Justice League Heroes but did you know we’ve got some sake superheroes too? This week John and Tim interview Sakeman Red a.k.a Nick Matsumoto. Nick is part of team Sakeman, who describe themselves as “A team of athletic, sake superheroes who import their own brands and educate the masses!” Nick first connected with the Sakeman group through his love of judo. The first thing you’ll notice about the Sakeman group is their use of iconic and custom made luchador masks when presenting their stellar sake portfolio of sake from premium producers all around Japan – so their stuff is legit. . As Nick explains in our interview, the masks help draw attention to sake and start the conversation! Or the masks draw an invitation to wrestle! However it turns out, Sakeman is all about good sake. Thanks Nick for taking the time to teach us to work hard, train hard and drink hard!Support the show

Season 1. Episode 36. Shoe leather? Starfruit? Pheasant Skin?   Have you ever heard a - let's say - "advanced" sake aroma or taste description that left you feeling a little bit lost? What if you feel like you're not picking up on the nuance or subtlety in sake?  That is exactly the question one of our listeners asked us by email.  In this episode, John and Tim break down the process of tasting sake - Tasting with intention to study the main points of a sake.  That would be the appearance in the glass, aroma, palate/taste and finish.  We talk about each step in detail and what to do if you might be lacking the vocabulary to express what you're tasting. Also, we'll review some tips and tricks to study aromas and flavors.  In the end, the art of studying sake tasting is about enjoying sake tasting.  Learn as little or as much about tasting as interests you and helps you find a sake you love.Support the show

Season 1. Episode 35. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."   When Shakespeare's Juliet is coming to terms with the fact that she is crushing hard on Romeo - her family's sworn enemy - she muses on the meaning and importance of names. Is what's true for roses also true for sake?  This week John and Timothy dive into the word of "re-branded" or so called "white labeled" sake.  That is, sake that is purchased from a brewery and sold under a different brand name.  There are a couple of ways these sakes show up on the market.  The above-board way is to truly partner with a sake brewery and be completely transparent about who the producer is when selling and promoting the re-branded sake.  However, some brands buy sake to re-label and <u>don't</u> disclose the producer.  This is a tricky situation as you can never really be sure of the source or quality of the sake.  Because of this, we'll be focusing on a few re-branded sakes that put their brewers front and center where they belong.  Support the show

Season 1. Episode 34.  Continuing our series of interviews with U.S. sake brewers, this week we sit down with Yoshihiro Sako, owner and brewer at Den Sake Brewery in Oakland, California.  Yoshi comes from the hospitality side of the sake industry and brings a true love of sake over to the world of U.S. sake production.  Hailing from Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan, Yoshi is the ultimate ambassador of sake - melding his knowledge of Japanese culture and language with his years living in the U.S., to create a sake that is a unique and delicious hybrid of these two world views.  With a bumped up acidity, unique calhikari rice and a firm, dry finish, Yoshi crafts sake that hews to his own vision.  So far, he's been recognized as a James Beard Award semi-finalist as well as being featured in season two of the PBS Television series Tastemakers. Listen in as we taste Den's Junmai (batch 11) and explore the flavors that Yoshi is crafting in Oakland.  As a true pioneer of sake brewing in the U.S., it's an honor to chat with Yoshi about sake now and how to raise sake up in the years to come.Support the show

Season 1. Episode 33.  Do you know your way to New York's most legit and old school sake bar?  Walk east on 9th street until you see the "On Air" sign just before second ave.  Descend the stairs and behind the door you'll find Decibel, the ultimate underground sake bar. If you find yourself in a dark and graffiti-covered basement, you're in the right place. Opened in 1993 by East Village restaurant pioneer Bon Yagi, Decibel has welcomed the spectrum of NYC nightlife in search of sake for over a quarter century - and with over 100 sakes on the menu, there is plenty of sake to choose from.  What better place for Tim and John to do their first "on location" episode, than from New York's most classic sake bar.  Sit back, relax and take in the sounds and atmosphere of Decibel as our hosts recall their underground (mis-) adventures in sake.  Special thanks to Decibel's Cho-san for arranging our recording session!Support the show

Season 1. Episode 32. This week, Timothy and John connect with a special guest for an interview and tasting.  Brian Ashcraft is a well known writer focusing on the subjects of video games and Japanese culture.  His most recent publication is The Japanese Sake Bible: Everything You Need to Know About Great Sake (With Tasting Notes and Scores for Over 100 Top Brands).  It's a marvelous book that takes you deep into the world of sake without being too technical or boring.  Every chapter has individual stories to highlight the topic or area being discussed.  As one would hope, the last section of the book is a tasting guide to over 100 kinds of sake with tasting notes and pictures of the bottles.  Not all the featured sakes are available in the USA, but there are enough to make it really worthwhile.  Sake nerds finally have a Bible of their own - Amen to that!Support the show