Sake

Akita Brewing Company likes to keep it as old-school as the century-old soaking basin and steaming vessel for rice. While they incorporate modern advances, they refuse to take shortcuts or increase volume at the cost of quality.... Read More

While there are similarities among Japanese Shōchū, Korean Soju, and Chinese Baijiu, they differ in base ingredients, ABV, flavor, and production. Shōchū is a bit like low-proof vodka at 25-35% ABV. It can be distilled from almost... Read More

Junmai Daiginjo is the highest grade sake due to its level of rice polishing, but there are other important factors, including the brewery, Toji (master brewer), rice, and water sources. Konteki (translated as dew drops of the... Read More

Made by the Kumazawa Brewing Company, Tensei (re-incarnation) is a brand of Sake from the coastal Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, and stretching around a scenic coastline skirting the Miura Peninsula and Sagami Bay. It's... Read More

Producing sake requires milling away the outer coating of rice (anywhere from 90%-10%) for different quality levels. Tozai Living Jewel sake falls into the Junmai category, represented by a large swath of top Japanese pure rice... Read More

Night Swim by the Tozai brewery in Kyoto is Futsushu-grade sake made with 70% polished rice plus some distilled alcohol to bump up to 14% ABV. It’s still mild enough to enjoy more than one can on Sushi Friday. Notes of tropical... Read More

Snow Maiden is Tozai's Nigori sake, a style known for its milky appearance, full body, and soft off-dry palate resulting from rice solids incorporated in the brew. It opens with melon, fruit, rice pudding, and roasted pumpkin,... Read More

Sake is the skillful combination of water, rice, and Koji fungus, the precursor that converts rice starches into simple sugars to create alcohol, but the real flavor is dictated by the selected yeast. Tsuji Zenbei Junmai is made... Read More