In our last podcast episode of Sake On Air, we had two of our regular hosts Chris Hughes and John Gauntner talk with Katsunari Sawada, the man behind the pocket-sized sake can, KURA One. If you have not had a chance to listen to it yet, we recommend you do so (here) before listening to the 2nd part, as we are looking further into the question of whether this could be indeed the future of packaging for the sake industry and beyond. We will also be diving deeper into how to market sake overseas and KURA One’s strength in doing so. This comes as no surprise as Sawada-san has an incredible PR and marketing background and knows that putting in extensive research into what producers, sellers, and consumers want is crucial to building a successful concept and product. But what is KURA One’s long-term strategy? With a huge demand for small format single-serving units in Japan, how will the company navigate the challenge of possibly cannibalizing brands that they are promoting (or vice versa) in other markets, and are these small cans really sustainable in the long run?As always, we would love to hear what you think about this special double episode and make sure to check out KURA ONE on Instagram, as Sawada-san often posts promotions and special deals. At the same time, if you’re looking for updates @sakeonair, you can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Don’t hesitate to also share any other sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions with the hosts at questions@sakeonair.com and rate us on the podcast service of your choice while you’re at it. We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air.Until then, kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

In this week’s episode of Sake On Air, two of our regular hosts Chris Huges and John Gauntner came together to chat with Katsunari Sawada san, the mastermind behind KURA One! For anyone unfamiliar with KURA ONE, the company’s mission in their own words “is a sake service that changes the “unreachable” into “deliverable”.” Moving away from the bigger sized 720 ml bottle and creating a smaller 180 ml aluminum sake can, an alternative to the traditional “One Cup”. Sawada-san has set out to change the sake industry and is working with representative brands of sake breweries that have won awards both domestically and internationally, hoping to promote sake. With the brand KURA ONE becoming more and more prominent it might come as a surprise that the man behind the idea did not really drink sake in his 20s and 30s. When asked why, he answered that it was because of the image he had about alcohol being used to “just get drunk” and it was not until much later in his life that he connected with the beverage. In fact, he attributes coming back to Japan after extensively traveling all around the world that made him realize his role and responsibility in helping people to discover the charm of his home country, Japan. Knowing this could only be done by truly understanding the local mindset, he visited 47 prefectures across Japan, in which he had many opportunities to exchange opinions with craftsmen and brewers. This uniquely valuable experience is what became the foundation of it all, as he became fascinated by regional products born from geographical and cultural backgrounds, influenced by the way of life, thinking, and attitude of the craftsmen who create them. This is where the Idea of KURA ONE started. Combining his incredible PR & communication knowledge with finding a new way to package and showcase these producers is what we see in KURA ONE today. Finding smart solutions that both help the people in the industry who make the sake, as well as using data to customize the products for customers to easily understand the product with smart technology to help to easily deliver and store them. Plus dare we say, these can’s are also incredibly beautiful to look at. Prepare yourself for an engaging conversation as John, with his extensive knowledge of the sake import industry follows up with Sawada-san on some key points of why or why not this might be the future of packaging. As always, let us know what you think about this week’s episode and we will be back very soon with part 2! In the meantime make sure to check out KURA ONE on Instagram, as Sawada-san has mentioned he will have some promotions coming up soon and of course, don’t hesitate to also reach out to us with any sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions at questions@sakeonair.com and rate us on the podcast service of your choice while you’re at it. At the same time, if you’re looking for updates @sakeonair, you can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Don’t hesitate to also share any other sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions with the hosts at questions@sakeonair.com and rate us on the podcast service of your choice while you’re at it. We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air.Until then, kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Arline Lyons never expected to be the go-to translator for sake related writings coming out of Japan, but remix Mr. Crichton, “sake finds a way.” Our American host in America, Justin Potts sat down with her to talk sake, translation, and some exciting news regarding the growth of Sake on Air. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Arline holds the (WSET) Level 3 Award in Sake and is a SSI International Kikizake-shi, and a SEC Advanced Sake Professional. In their free flowing conversation, they also get into the sake industry in Europe and some of the differences in wine and sake education. Arline is the mastermind behind the sake focused newsletter (https://taste-translation.com/), sake workshops in Europe (https://discover-sake.com/), and a delightful series of t-shirts that can be found here: https://saketees.com/product-category/t-shirts/. She is also one of the go-to translators for the Brewing Society of Japan and for our dear friends at JSS. In her life away from sake, she is also a highly accomplished translator in the pharmaceutical and medical field. Annnnnd now she is joining the team here at Sake on Air! Arline will be writing a monthly post about sake for the Sake on Air website. You can find the first one here: https://sakeonair.com/2023/09/13/is-wine-the-best-way-to-promote-sake/ Share your thoughts with us on Don’t hesitate to also reach out to us with sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook or at questions@sakeonair.com! Don’t forget to rate us on the podcast service of your choice or just write it on a sake label, we don’t care. We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake on Air before you know it. Until then, kampai! Sake on Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew.

How do we effectively promote Japan’s indigenous beverages? That is the million-dollar question and something the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association are working on relentlessly every day. On the Shochu front, one way they are doing this is by collaborating with bartenders and mixologists from all around the world who have fallen in love with Shochu and Awamori and showcasing the fruits of these collaborations at special events. Recently, we were lucky to join one of these events, where we got front-row insights into the state of the industry as well as being treated to some delicious Shochu Cocktails by not other than Soran Nomura, renowned in the bartending community both in Japan and abroad, owner of Nomura Shoten, the Quarter Room in Tokyo, creator of beverage consultant firm “ABV+” among a long list of things. So in this week’s podcast, our regular hosts and Shochu enthusiasts Christopher Pellegrini and Marie Nagata sat down together with Soran to chat about his incredible story. Starting out his journey somewhat 20 years ago in London, with the dream to study art, he very quickly realized he needed a way to make money, so he joined the team at a bar in east London, first as a bar back, but quickly worked his way up in no less than 2 months to become a bartender! His love for art inspired him to reinterpret garnishes and cocktail presentations which lightened his passion for cocktail making and inspired him to become a mixologist. Fast forward and 10 years later, Soran became the head bartender at well-known Fuglen in Tokyo. He then moved on to work on a variety of things including opening his own consultancy called “ABV+”, and working as the bar producer and manager at the famous K5 Hotel in Tokyo, before opening Nomura Shoten in 2022, followed by the the Quarter Room earlier this year. A unique bar concept that intends to fuse art and cocktails. Listening to Soran, and how he approaches new cocktail creations even left our hosts in awe for a few seconds. Comparing the layer of a drink with mixing colors for a painting, Soran brings it all back to his beginnings and passion for art. As always, let us know what you think about this week’s episode and if you are in Tokyo, make sure you visit Nomura Shoten or the Quarter room! You can of course follow Soran on his Instagram and don’t hesitate to also reach out to us with other sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions at questions@sakeonair.com and rate us on the podcast service of your choice while you’re at it. At the same time, if you’re looking for updates @sakeonair, you can follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Don’t hesitate to also share any other sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions with the hosts at questions@sakeonair.com and rate us on the podcast service of your choice while you’re at it. We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air.Until then, kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Martin Sturma’s path to kurabito life at Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten has been a winding one. He first started working with sake at the JETRO Prague office, but he had already fallen in love with drink thanks to a fateful encounter on a study abroad trip to the U.S., of all places. By 2020 he was ready to make the move to Japan and start working at a brewery, but the pandemic got in the way, and he found himself in Paris working for one of the more interesting sake makers outside of Japan, WAKAZE. There he was able to build experience across all parts of the brewing process, preparing him for when Japan finally reopened its borders, at which point he promptly set off to start at Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, the makers of Zaku. Today he joins us to talk about his experiences becoming a kurabito, the differences between working at a sake brewery outside of Japan and a more traditional brewery in Japan, and why keeping the yeast happy is the best way to make delicious sake. Anybody planning on coming to Japan to brew sake? Share your ambitions with us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can also follow Martin’s adventures on his instagram. Don’t hesitate to also reach out to us with other sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions at questions@sakeonair.com and rate us on the podcast service of your choice while you’re at it. We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake on Air before you know it.Until then, kampai! Sake on Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew.

Somehow, they’ve done it. Despite the long list of complex and seemingly impenetrable barriers, the folks at Tippsy have managed to make a large, diverse, and inspiring range of sake available to anyone just about anywhere in the U.S. Since founding Tippsy in 2018, Genki Ito has managed to expand Tippsy’s offerings to over 400 unique products and make them available to nearly every state across the country. What exactly is, “Tippsy”, you ask? In addition to being a reliable place to shop for sake online in the United States, Tippsy also offers a curated subscription service, opportunities to communicate and learn with a global community of sake fans and sake-curious, and a wealth of high-quality educational and informative materials about sake. The mission that Genki set out on was propelled forward when joined by current portfolio manager, Sachiko Miyagi. An experienced and highly decorated and certified sake educator, Sachiko has made herself the bridge between untapped sake knowledge and undiscovered sake lovers of the future. This week we’re lucky to be joined by both Genki and Sachiko to share with us the challenges and aspirations that have formed the past and will inform the future of Tippsy, and how they plan to get sake into the hands of the millions of people out there unknowingly waiting to begin their own sake journey. Any Tippsy subscribers out there? Share your experiences with us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and of course, don’t forget to share with the folks over at Tippsy, as well! Don’t hesitate to also reach out to us with other sake or shochu-related thoughts or questions at questions@sakeonair.com and rate us on the podcast service of your choice while you’re at it. We’ll be back very soon with plenty more Sake On Air before you know it.Until then, kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Aruten, arukoru tenka, or the ingredient largely responsible for the need to create a category of junmai sake in the first place, is sake that has been made with an addition of brewer’s alcohol. Four years and 4 months ago John, little Chris, big Chris, and Justin discussed the differences between junmai and aruten sake in episode 11 of Sake on Air. How time flies. But today Justin is diving back into aruten with sake specialist, and fellow podcaster, Jim Rion. Jim is the author of Discovering Yamaguchi Sake: A Taster’s Guide to Breweries, Culture, and Terrain, published earlier this year from Stone Bridge Press. Jim’s word for this week is aruten. Reasons for adding brewer’s alcohol are many and you’d miss out on a lot of exceptional sake to assume, “junmai, good; aruten, bad.” Aruten sake types include daiginjo and ginjo (sans “junmai” of course), as well as honjozo and futsu-shu. Some brewers choose to specialize in aruten to give themselves more control over the final flavor of their sake, others are maintaining a long tradition that has its roots in preservation techniques for sake. Are you more of an Aruten or Junmai person, or does it really even matter? Share more with us here at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message with your thoughts and experiences to questions@sakeonair.com. We’ll be back with more Sake On Air – On Your Own Terms, before you know it.Until then, kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

“Moyashi” is a bit tricky: it’s simply translated as “bean sprout” in Japanese, but in the world of sake it refers to the sprouting koji starter knows as tane-koji, in Japanese. In this week’s episode we get insight as to how this important terminology also ties into an even more specialized term “soyashi” and how the fermentation process is connected to the sprouting of various bacteria and molds. Moyashi was the Sake Concierge, Takashi “Umio” Eguchi’s second word choice in our On Your Own Terms series. He always offers an insightful perspective as part of his explanations about sake and the related enjoyment and culture. Our conversation today is a walk through the historical methods of sake brewing, and how past techniques have been passed down to the terms and practices that still thrive today. Was moyashi new to you? Share more with us here at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message with your thoughts and experiences to questions@sakeonair.com. We’ll be back with more Sake On Air – On Your Own Terms, before you know it.Until then, kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

The amount of “genshu” sake circulating the market these days is ever-increasing. So first and foremost, what in the world is genshu? This week your regular host Sebastien Lemoine brings the genshu topic to the table on his own terms together with Justin Potts. Beyond defining the term (hint: it’s actually pretty simple!) they also get into how the term can be both misinterpreted and reinterpreted at the discretion of the maker’s processes, making sake titled with the word genshu not only more prevalent, but also raises the question: does it even matter? Are you a genshu fan? If so, tell us why at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message with your thoughts and experiences to questions@sakeonair.com. We’ll be back with more Sake On Air – On Your Own Terms, very soon.Until then, kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week we’re lucky to be joined once again by Niigata Sake Lovers founder, sake educator, guide, and evangelist extraordinaire, Tomomi Duquette. Tomomi’s sake vocabulary that she’s brought to the bar this week on her own terms is particularly interesting in that it flies directly in the face of what her sake homefield is best known for. In Niigata – generally considered the karakuchi motherland – genuinely amakuchi sake is relatively few and far between (although that’s gradually changing, as well). In general, karakuchi is more prevalent vocabulary – both in sake conversation and on the label – than amakuchi. That being said, for every karakuchi sake, there’s certainly a delicious bottle of amakuchi out there as well, isn’t there? So, why doesn’t it seem to get as much attention? Is karakuchi as universally loved as it seems, or is amakuchi equally synonymous with beloved sake? In order to discuss amakuchi, we kind of have to address karakuchi, as well, so this week you sort of get a two-for-one here at On Your Own Terms. Lucky you! Do you lean more karakuchi or amakuchi? What’s your personal barometer for each? Let us know @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message with your thoughts and experiences to questions@sakeonair.com, and we’ll discuss. We’ll be back with more Sake On Air – On Your Own Terms, very soon.Until then, kampai! Sake On Air is made possible with the generous support of the Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association and is recorded and broadcast from the Japan Sake & Shochu Information Center in Tokyo. The show is brought to you by Potts.K Productions with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” was composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.