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.

Not only can a single batch of sake be broken down into unique seasonal releases, it can even be divided up into a range of unique products immediately following the pressing of a single batch.One possible way to do so would be to set aside (and then promptly bottle and distribute) what’s known as “arabashiri”, often translated as “first run”. This week we’re thrilled to be joined once again by previous guest of Masumi fame, Keith Norum. What exactly is “arabashiri”, and is it something you should be on the lookout for? Keith is the perfect guest to speak on the topic because not only does Masumi do a spectacular annual Arabashiri release, their specific product actually differs a bit from the conventional definition of the word, leading to some great Masumi stories as well as a great compare-and-contrast conversation that will hopefully shed more light on this often underappreciated bottling and help our listeners better understand the term as a result.Anyone keen to follow Keith on a detailed brewery tour of Masumi can do so here, as well as keep up-to-date with Masumi straight from the source in Nagano right here.If you have some of your own arabashiri experiences, be sure to share with use here at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message 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.

Is it “kura”, or is it “gura?”It’s both! On week’s episode of On Your Own Terms, regular host Justin Potts sits down with Chris Hughes to examine a rather pervasive term in and around the world of sake: kura, the Japanese word that encompasses storehouse, brewery, factory, and nowadays, a whole lot more. Sake breweries are often called sakagura in Japanese, with their modern facilities are often built around an older kura that can be 100s of years old. (Note: the “gura” spelling represents the inflection that occurs when attached to a preceding word, hence, “saka-gura”, as opposed to, “saka-kura”.)The Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association (JSS) has an excellent resource that lists all of the sake breweries throughout Japan that offer kura tours. There are also many companies that offer brewery tours as part of their personalized services, including our very own Sebastien Lemoine’s Passerelle.Have you visited a sakagura before? Do you have plans to go? If so, share your experiences or let us know at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message to questions@sakeonair.com. We’ll be back with more Sake On Air – On Your Own Terms, in just a few days.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.

Is it “unfiltered”?This week’s episode of On Your Own Terms explores one component of sake’s rather confusing classification of filtered vs. unfiltered when we discuss muroka sake with one exceptional gentleman who happens to be both the owner and head brewer of North American Sake Brewery and co-founder of the Sake Brewers Association of North America, Andrew Centofante.Often simply communicated as, “unfiltered”, muroka is just one of many processes and choices available to a brewery when deciding the nature of the sake that they want to send out into the world. As concepts such as “low intervention” increase in popularity and align with the values of more and more brewers and consumers, muroka is gradually becoming more and more a key piece of vocabulary related to sake-specific communication. But is “unfiltered” entirely accurate? Is there more to it? This week regular host Justin Potts sits down with Andrew to discuss.Is muroka a term you pay attention to or place value in? Let us know at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message to questions@sakeonair.com. We’ll be back with more Sake On Air – On Your Own Terms, in just a few days.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.

We’re back again with more, On Your Own Terms, the series that allows our guests to select a single bit of sake or shochu-specific terminology to share with us, explaining it concisely, while also reflecting on their unique experiences and perspectives tied to their topic-of-choice.This week, the Sake Concierge, Takashi “Umio” Eguchi, brings both terminology and perspective that only he could deliver. This time around we explore the “ricey” component of the sensory experience of sake.When we started doing this, somewhat narrow-mindedly there was an assumption that most guests would likely select a Japanese-term that would mean little to those not particularly well-versed in the world of sake or shochu. While that’s generally been the case up until now, Umio throws a wrench in things this week – in the best way possible.The sensory experience of sake is often described, in terms of either (or both) flavor or aroma as being “ricey”, or expressing “riceyness” in some form, whether it be something reflecting steamed or cooked rice, mochi rice, rice bran, or something else entirely.If your evaluation of a particular wine pointed out its “grapeiness”, you might get sideways looks for pointing out the obvious. If we were talking beer, however, pointing out “malty” character or something being “hoppy” would be considered information of value.For a drink essentially made entirely from rice and rice-based raw materials (koji!), what meaning or significance does the “riceyness” of a particular sake communicate? Could it mean something different to different people depending upon their geographical or cultural perspective? How does such a term not only point out the obvious, but also the exemplary? Umio elucidates on all of these things, keeping us on our toes and in a state of reflection for this session of On Your Own Terms. We’ll be back with more Sake On Air – On Your Own Terms, in just a few days.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.

In case you missed it, we’ve just kicked off our new mini-series: On Your Own Terms, where we examine sake or shochu-specific terminology concisely through the eyes of the advocates and professionals that have unique experiences and perspectives on their topic-of-choice. Last episode we looked at the ever-popular topic of nama together with Jorge Navarette at Matsui Shuzo in Kyoto. (Nama has been a recent hot topic here on the show, actually). For those that missed out, it’s right below this episode in your Sake On Air podcast feed!This week we’re joined by the ever diligent, hardworking, and knowledgeable Arline Lyons of Discover Sake and Taste Translation. Always a reliable and accurate source for timely and pertinent sake information out of Japan, the Zurich-based translator and educator throws us a bit of a curveball this week with her sake terminology of choice: kanri.While not typically a part of the outward-facing sake lexicon, it’s a term that has significant implications related to how the production of sake is, hint: managed.Let us know how the concept of kanri fits into your perception of sake or shochu, and what other sorts of terminology you’d like for us to explore. Feel free to share your thoughts on this week’s show (and this new series) @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message to questions@sakeonair.com. We’ll be back with more Sake On Air – On Your Own Terms, next week.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 kick off a brand-new mini-series looking at sake (or shochu)-specific terminology in a new way.Up until now we’ve occasionally hosted in-depth discussions on hyper-specific topics unique to sake or shochu making, service, or experiences (see: Koji Basics, Kanzake, etc.), where we would round up our hosts or a team of specialists in attempt to unravel exciting and essential topics related to our favorite drink categories.Based on what our listeners have told us (and what the numbers say), more-often-than-not these have been our most popular and most requested show format. It turns out people want to dig into this stuff!This got us thinking: maybe there’s a way for us to explore these important terminology in a manner that’s both more concise, while also maintaining and valuing the range of perspectives that coexist around these topics.Our (tentative) response to that question is this brand new (mini?) series, “On Your Own Terms”, where one of our hosts invites a special guest who is proactively working or engaged in the world of sake or shochu, asking them to introduce to us a specific piece of vocabulary that they feel is particularly significant or close to their heart – on their own terms.Understanding “what” a particular term means is important, but understanding and appreciating an individual’s understanding and appreciation for a theme or topic is, we think, equally important. Here at Sake On Air, while we do our best to provide answers, more than anything, we want to offer new perspectives. That way sake lovers (and our lovely listeners) can hopefully enjoy sake not only the way they were “taught”, but more freely and enjoyably on their own terms.For this first iteration we welcome back to the show Jorge Navarette, brewer, sales manager, and all-in-one sake powerhouse at Matsui Shuzo – makers of Kagura – located in the heart of Kyoto. (Jorge previously joined us back on Episode 49: Kurabito Life). Jorge’s terminology of choice this week: nama. Being a brewery that doubled down on nama as a core component of their main product line, he and the team at Matsui Shuzo are in a great position to not only define, but offer perspective on what it means to both brew, sell, and enjoy namazake as more and more sake drinkers’ curiosity is piqued by the world of entirely unpasteurized sake. For this new series, we’re going to be coming at you rapid-fire over the next several weeks, examining what this sort of show format could look like in a world of Sake On Air that happens with greater frequency, as well as to gauge what our listeners think. So please, let us know! You can share your thoughts @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or send us a message anytime at 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.

Books dedicated entirely to specific sake-producing regions have for all intents and purposes been non-existent in the English language; at least, until now.Enter, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake: A Taster’s Guide to Breweries, Culture, and Terrain, the recently released publication from Stone Bridge Press written by long-time Yamaguchi-resident, sake specialist, and fellow podcaster, Jim Rion.Sake long being in need of a tome dedicated to exploring the regional characteristics of a unique sake brewing region, Jim’s hard work and dedication to the industry and to his relationships nurtured over many years with the breweries of Yamaguchi Prefecture make Discovering Yamaguchi Sake a long-awaited and much-needed contribution to the dialogue surrounding sake and its regionality. Making equal real estate for the region’s movers-and-shakers alongside the less well-known or more obscure breweries and labels does the region and the topic a great service, making the book a fantastic balanced representation of the region and a highly recommended addition to anyone’s sake library. If you’ve managed to pick up a copy of Discovering Yamaguchi Sake, please do share with us @sakeonair, and be sure to follow along with us  and @jim_and_jizake 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 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.

If you’ve been listening to this show even intermittently over the past several years, you’re probably already aware that starting a sake brewery from scratch in Japan is, and has been for decades, a gargantuan task. However, in recent years, the number of young entrepreneurs navigating regulatory loopholes in order craft sake themselves in a manner that fulfills a dream and mission of cultivating a more inspiring and sustainable culture (and business model) for the next generation are beginning to pop up here-and-there across the country.The latest challenger pushing the envelope is Yuji “Yoshi” Adachi, founder, head brewer, and farmer at Adachi Noujo, a new craft sake brewery scheduled to open in earnest in Osaka before the end of summer 2023. An increasingly popular bit of vocabulary being adopted by a growing number of sake breweries looking to summarize their dedication to agriculture and commitment to brewing, “Noujo” is a made-up word that mashes together the characters of “farming” and “brewing”. With his own single plot of koshihikari that he spent the past couple of years restoring, for the foreseeable future, it’s a one-man operation where Yoshi is handling...everything.But Yoshi’s foray into sake was by no means preordained. Having spent his early 20s in Texas pursuing a lifelong ambition to become an Olympic swimmer, followed by a stint helping his father establish and run a Japanese food restaurant in the longhorn state, his return to Japan and a stint at a popular sake bar in Kobe sent him spiraling down the an unintended sake path. Being so young it seems like this new brewery popped up out of nowhere, but after 3.5 years at Hachinohe Sake Brewery (makers of Mutsu Hassen, not to mention the most awarded sake brewery of 2021) and two years at Nishiyama Shuzojo in Hyogo both brewing and farming, he’s been laying the groundwork for his vision through his first original label, Koyoi, and is now on the cusp of bringing a new sake brewery to his home city of Osaka for the first time in a long, long time.For this episode, Yoshi shares his story, plans, and ambitions (including the establishment of a sake brewery in Switzerland!) with regular host Justin Potts. If you’re looking for a source of inspiration this week, look no further. 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.