Sake Deep Dive

By Sake Deep DiveEducation

Sake Deep Dive episodes

July 31, 2025 Nigori - Clearing up Cloudy Sake
In a perfect follow up to the pressing episode, Andy and Jim try to clear the water on a murky issue: nigori sake. What is it? WHY is it? How do they make it? And how should I drink it? Listen, and all the clouds will be lifted. Kanpai!
Vocab for this episode
Kassei nigori 活性にごり - “active” nigori sake with living yeast still making alcohol and, importantly, CO2. Can be explosive on opening.
Nigori にごり・濁り - Literally “cloudy.” Here, we’re talking about sake with visible rice residue. It can range from only slight cloudy to thick, creamy white.
Ori　おり・澱 - Lees, sediment, dregs… The very fine rice solids still left in sake after pressing.
Oribiki　おり引き - A practice of allowing sake to rest in the tank after pressing so that the ori settles to the bottom. Clear sake is drained off the upper level, with the ori-rich sake still left at the bottom.
Origarami/Orizake　おりがらみ・おり酒 - Sake taken from the lower levels of an oribiki tank. This sake has lots of residual solids, which not only makes the sake “cloudy” but also brings complexity and heft.
Sasanigori　ささ濁り・佐々濁り - Very lightly cloudy sake.
Usunigori　うすにごり・薄濁り - Lightly cloudy sake
Recommendations:
Andy - Seikyo Junmai Nigorizake 誠鏡純米にごり酒
Jim - Nakashimaya Junmai Nigori 中島屋純米にごり
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive
Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/
And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!
Our theme music is from
Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions
Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

48 min
June 30, 2025 Natsuzake - Summertime Sake
Andy and Jim sweat over the details of summer sake. Is it light and refreshing, or hefty and punchy? Is it a brand new idea or something as old as brewing rice into booze? Lean back in your beach chair, slather on some sunscreen, and get ready to break the ice with the sake boys of summer in another Sake Deep Dive!
Vocab for this episode
Natsu 夏 - Summer!
Sake 酒 - Sake!
Recommendations:
Andy - Tamagawa Icebreaker
Jim - Chomonkyo Natsu no Sake/ Natsujun
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive
Also, check out Andy’s sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/
And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!
Our theme music is from
Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions
Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

41 min
May 31, 2025 Shibori - Sake Pressing Matters
Andy and Jim bear down and wring out their brains to get as much info as possible about an overlooked part of the sake making process: shibori. Whether you call it pressing (correctly) or filtration (hmmm…), this is a step that is both more complicated, and more important, that most people probably think. No pressure, but you really need to squeeze this one into your schedule. Kanpai!
Vocab for this episode
Arabashiri 荒走り - The “rough run” of sake that is the first to come out of the press during shibori.
Assakuki 圧搾機 - Literally, “pressing machine.” The official name for what is usually called a “yabuta” after the most popular brand of sake press.
Fukurozuri 袋吊り - “Bag pressed” sake, in which moromi is put into cloth bags, which are then tied to a pole over a collecting tank. Also called shizuku shibori 雫搾り, meaning “droplet pressing”. But no pressure apart from gravity is used.
Fune 槽 - A traditional shibori style using a large wooden (and these days stainless steel) box filled with bags of moromi then pressed from above. Modern ones use hydraulics, older ones could be hand-cranked or use a tenbin 天秤 cantilever system.
Moromi 醪 - The sake mash, a thick concoction of rice, rice koji, and liquid. The solids (kasu/lees) must be separated from the liquid (sake) to be called seishu 清酒.
Nakagumi 中ぐみ - The middle section, or the “hearts” of a sake pressing.
Seme 責め - The final section, or the “tails,” of a sake pressing.
Tenbin shibori 天秤搾り - A very old style of pressing in which a fune is pressed using a counterweighted beam. A huge beam is suspended over the press with a cantilever to push down on the sake when large weights are put on the other end of the beam. Also called haneki shibori はね木搾り.
Recommendations:
Andy - Hoken Retro Label (寳劔純米レトロラベル)
Jim - Harada Tokubetsu Junmai Saito no Shizuku
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive
Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/
And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!
Our theme music is from
Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions
Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

1 hr 2 min
March 31, 2025 Aramasa - Sake with Style
Andy and Jim go all in on a single brewery this time, looking at Akita Prefecture’s Aramasa Shuzo. Known as one of the most desirable and hard-to-get labels around, we wonder what exactly makes it that way? The answer may well lie in an obsessive focus on detail, from brewery cleaning to label design. Scrub your kioke, tie up the shimenawa, and fill your cup with a true maboroshi. Kanpai!
Vocab for this episode
Kioke 木桶 - Wooden tanks for fermentation etc. Aramasa uses all wooden tanks.
Shimenawa しめ縄 - A woven straw rope decorated with white paper charms, associated with sacred spaces in the Shinto faith. Used on the tanks at Aramasa.
Maboroshi 幻 - Literally a “phantom,” figuratively it’s something that is elusive.
Kame 亀 - A turtle.
Recommendations:
Andy - Nirukame
Jim - Cosmos
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive
Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/
And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!
Our theme music is from
Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions
Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

56 min
February 28, 2025 Sake Bars - Drinking in Japan
This time, Andy and Jim take things a little easy with a little guide to drinking in Japan. From hidden neighborhood izakaya to trendy Tokyo sake bars, they ease the way into finding and enjoying a tipple on your next trip to Japan.
Vocabulary
Izakaya　居酒屋 - An eating and drinking spot, meaning literally “shop to be with liquor.” The baseline for drinking in Japan.
Kaku uchi 角打ち - A type of liquor store that doubles as a place to drink in the evening. Standing only, and some simple snacks are often available.
Mokkiri もっきり - a rather ostentatious way of serving nihonshu by putting a glass into a masu then pouring until the glass overflows.
Otoshi お通し - a small dish served on sitting down at an izakaya or some bars, without being ordered. It is a paid dish and essentially doubles as a table charge.
Otsumami お摘み - The general word for nibbles or snacks, often associated with drinking.
Sakana 肴 - The traditional word for food served along drinks. Note that the pronunciation is the same as “fish” but the character is different.
Tachinomi　立ち飲み - A standing bar. Different from kaku uchi in that it is ONLY a bar, without the liquor store function.
　
Recommendations:
Andy - Kaifork 解放区 in Okayama City
Jim - Hularito in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive
Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/
And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!
Our theme music is from
Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions
Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

1 hr 2 min
January 31, 2025 Jizake - Local Sake Goes Global
This episode of Sake Deep Dive sees Andy and Jim go on an etymological journey to see how a once-disparaging term came to represent something sought after and, eventually, almost meaningless. Along the way, we look at how changing consumer attitudes have shaped even the smallest breweries and their output. Grab your favorite local brew and settle in for some word nerdery!
　
Recommendations:
Andy - Kosen, Izumi Shuzo
Jim - Ikusanga, Kinfundo Shuzo
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive
Also, check out Andy’s website at: https://www.originsake.com/
And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!
Our theme music is from
Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions
Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

57 min
December 31, 2024 Koji - Sake's (In?) tangible Cultural Heart
In December, UNESCO recognized “Traditional Sake Making Techniques” as Japan’s latest example of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Andy and Jim have questions, and maybe even a few answers, about what exactly that might mean. The key is, of course, koji and its use in alcoholic fermentation in Japan. Come take a listen as our hosts explore the implications for nihonshu and its future.
Vocabulary for this episode:
Barakoji バラ麹 - Japan’s particular style of sprinkling Aspergillus oryzae spores over loose rice to make koji.
Mochikoji 餅麹 - One Japanese term for the common Chinese style of cake fermentation starter, called sometime jiuqu or qu. Basically, a cake of rice flour or other starch mixed with water and inoculated with various microbes including Apergillus or Rhizopus molds.
　
Recommendations:
Andy - Daigorei from Bajo Shuzo
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive
Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/
And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!
Our theme music is from
Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions
Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

53 min
November 30, 2024Honjozo - A Hidden Sake Hero
Back after a brief hiatus, Andy and Jim wax lyrical over a truly overlooked, and sadly undersold style of sake: honjozo. A class that has fallen victim to misinformation, you might be surprised to find out that some of the most sought after and valued sake around is, in fact, honjozo. So, fill a tokkuri and sit back as we dig deep on this secret star of the dinner table.
Vocabulary
Honjozo - 本醸造 One of the tokuteimeishoshu classifications, a sake that must have rice polished at least to 70% and can contain a small amount of added brewer’s alcohol.

Tokuteimeishoshu - 特定名称酒 Special designation sake. The government-designated rules for labelling sake as ginjo, daiginjo, junmai, or honjozo.
　
Recommendations:
Andy - Juyondai Tokubestu Honjozo Honmaru
Jim - Ugo no Tsuki Tokubestu Honjozo (See also New Moon)
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive
Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/
And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!
Our theme music is from
Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions
Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg
44 min
September 30, 2024Gokyo - Yamaguchi's Soul Sake
This is Jim’s moment to shine! The almost inevitable moment has come as Andy and Jim talk about a sake brewery close to Jim’s heart: Sakai Shuzo, home of iconic Yamaguchi label Gokyo. Learn about the brewery’s history, philosophy, and the unique ties between it and the local community… And, of course, the delicious sake that comes from them all. Listen along and imagine yourself sipping hiyaoroshi under the maple leaves along the lazy Nishiki River in this hyper-local episode of Sake Deep Dive.
Vocabulary
Kioke　木桶 - A wooden vessel, in this case a fermentation tank. Usually made of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) wood.

Sotoji 総杜氏 - “Head toji,” a term used for breweries that have more than one facility headed up by a toji. The one toji to lead them all.

Nishiki 錦 - Silk brocade, specifically, but often a term used to give a nuance of luxury, excess, or “fanciness.” Sometimes also pronounced “Kin”

Obi 帯 - A kimono sash or strip/band of land. Sometimes also “Tai”

Kintaikyo 錦帯橋 - The famous five-arched wooden bridge over the Nishiki River. Could be translated “Sash of silk brocade.”
　
Recommendations:
Andy - Gokyo Saitonoshizuku Daiginjo
Jim - Gokyo Josen Futsushu / Gokyo Kiokezukuri Junmaishu
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive
Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/
And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!
Our theme music is from
Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions
Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg
1 hr 1 min
August 31, 2024Taru Sake - The Scent of Sugi
Andy and Jim crack open a barrel of history with this look at a small but cool part of sake culture: tarusake/taruzake. Originally just an accident of logistics, sake stored in sugi wood barrels is now something breweries have to go out of their way to make. Why do they do it? HOW do they do it? Come, listen, and find out.

Vocabulary
Hadakadaru 裸樽 - a “naked” taru without any wrapping, sometimes with the company logo etc. branded on the side.

Hon’nidaru　本荷樽 - a taru wrapped in a woven straw mat that bears decorations and, sometimes, the official brewery logo/sake information, calling back to when sake was shipped to market in these containers. Also called komadaru 菰樽.

Kagami Biraki　鏡開き - a somewhat ceremonial practice, often seen at large public events, where VIPs use wooden hammers to break open the lid of a sake taru.

Masu 升 - a box shaped vessel, originally used to measure rice, now sometimes used as a sake drinking vessel. Usually bare wood, but some are lacquered or even made of plastic.

Sugi 杉 - Cryptomeria japonica, sometimes mistakenly called “Japanese cedar.” A conifer with aromatic wood.

Taru 樽 - a barrel, in this case a wooden one, used to store liquid.
　
Recommendations:
Andy - Choryo Tarusake
Jim - Kamotsuru Taruzake
Don’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive
Also, check out Andy’s new sake tours at: https://www.originsaketours.com/
And buy Jim’s book, Discovering Yamaguchi Sake wherever you order your books (print and ebook available)!
Our theme music is from
Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notions
Under a Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg
47 min