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We highly recommend you try the shojin ryori (traditional Buddhist fare), offered at the attached hotel, Hakujukan. As we noted in our feature for Sake Today 46, you can finish off your meditation with some sake–it’s encouraged!
Any trip to Fukui should have Eiheiji Temple on its itinerary. Established in 1244, it has long been associated with Zen, and visitors can participate in zazen meditation courses.
…sometimes a glassy sheen from high kiln temperatures, and water-tight vessels… great for sake flasks and cups! If you visit Fukui there are lots of kilns and pottery villages to experience. https://t.co/Lb5yRrfGQM
Sake Today no.46 featured Echizen pottery from Fukui, the subject of our travel piece. This rugged ceramic tradition is known for its earthy red-brown clay due to high iron content, natural ash glazes that usually lend tones of yellow, green, and brown with prominent drip marks…
We’ve been posting about Tentaka’s success in organic sake following our feature article in Sake Today 46. The brewery also makes award-winning mead. 4th-generation president-to-be Shunsuke Ozaki noted that “honey ties into the (organic) narrative because of its health benefits.”
...there are several they have to meet due to export market differences. “We’ve won quite a few awards for our sake,” says Shunsuke. “We feel that we are rather progressive in our approach to brewing.” -from our feature on Tentaka in Sake Today no.46.
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Organic sake producers are rather rare in Japan’s industry. Tentaka furthermore offers the most organic varieties of any brewery in Japan. They source their own organic rice and ensure that the entire process, from seed to bottle, meets organic guidelines, of which...
Tentaka is synonymous with organic sake. The Tochigi brewery was a pioneer and remains Japan’s leader today. Its sake isn’t just conscientiously produced; it’s quite delicious, too. We feature the family, notably 4th-generation president-to-be, Shunsuke Ozaki, in Sake Today 46.
Last month we wrapped up Sake Today 46, our most eclectic issue yet. It features Fermenteria, an intriguing sake brewpub model launched by Euka Isawa (cover). Our travel special spotlights Fukui on Japan’s west coast, known for pastoral pleasures and ancient religious sites.
We take a lengthy look at flavored sake (infused, blended, etc) and run shorts on Echizen ceramics, dashi-wari (sake soup?), IWA Sake’s turning-point moment with its newest blend, a recipe, and an essay on every brewer’s friend in Japan: the taxman (no, really, he is a friend).
In Sake Today 45, we introduced Sō Okasora of Chiyomusubi, who spent twelve years as a banker before becoming the 6th-generation president. To lead effectively, he immersed himself in the brewing process, believing a president should be familiar with every aspect of the company.
One highly recommended bar is Ishizue, which shochu expert Stephen Lyman calls shochu college. Lyman wrote a brief guide to drinking establishments for our feature in Sake Today 44.
There are only a couple of producers of sake in Kagoshima; as many know, this is shochu kingdom, and the beverage is everywhere in Kagoshima city. The heart of drinking culture is the Tenmonkan district. There are dozens of bars and izakaya specializing in local producers.
Our Sake Today 44 travel feature on Kagoshima highlighted its natural attractions; many in Japan consider it the most exotic scenery in the country, from an active volcano in its central bay to mesmerizing ancient forests. If you love nature, this is a spiritual destination.
You never know where you’re going to find a great sake-centric place. Over winter vacation, we discovered Sake Haus in Phoenix, Arizona. Highly recommended for selection, quality, price, knowledge, and friendliness!
Recognized as a Sake Samurai in 2017, Samuels has insights into the industry like few others—an interview well worth reading! (Pictured above with the Sato’s of Kaetsu Shuzo and here with Daimon of Daimon Shuzo).
We featured Monica Samuels, the American doyenne of sake and president of Komé Collective, in Sake Today 44. She talks about running one of America’s most influential sake import operations, navigating market uncertainty, and memorable experiences with sake in Japan and America.