Sake On Air

It was

right around this very same time last year that we sat down with a whole slew of

splendid bartenders and mixologists to discuss shochu following their tour across

Kyushu.

This week,

we’ve done it again! Only this time instead of trying to squeeze a large group

into a single episode, we pulled aside a single specialist – the one-and-only Philip

Duff – to explore

shochu in the context of the greater spirits landscape.

Philip has a long and storied history in

the world of bartending, cocktails and shaping the future of spirits. From

opening Holland’s first speakeasy, Door 74, to serving as the educational

director for Tales

of the Cocktail,

writing for many of the industry’s most respected media, judging for many of

the industry’s largest bar and cocktail awards, and circling the globe as one

of the most prolific educators and consultants in the world of spirits, Philip

is now concentrating his efforts on his original genever label, Old Duff

Genever, and

further developing his on-trade consultancy at Liquid Solutions.

While

shochu does indeed dominate the conversation, given Philip’s unique experience

and perspective on the industry, Sebastien and Justin also pick his brain about the rise

of Japanese gin, the world’s misconceptions of genever, how Japan might be able

to learn from the U.S. tequila industry, and more!

After

listening to this week’s show, please do take a moment to leave us a

review for us on Apple Podcasts

or your favorite podcast streaming service. It really helps!

While

you’re listening, you can further keep tabs on us through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and our  YouTube channel.

Any and

all questions and comments are welcome via [email protected], or directly through our contact

page.

We’ll be

back in a couple more weeks for just a bit more Sake On Air before we close out

2019.

Stay

tuned, and 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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio

production by Frank

Walter.

Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is

composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Sake On

Air has taken the show on the road! Well, sort of.

The gang

isn’t all here, but Justin recently spent a bit of time in the Pacific

Northwest and along the way managed to sit down with a few of the individuals

helping to shape the future of sake in the region.

While in Portland Oregon for the annual Portland Fermentation Festival Justin sat down with sake samurai and vice president of the sake category for Young’s Market Company, Marcus Pakiser, together with SakeOne sales and marketing manager, Midori Nakazawa.

Portland is a city gathering the attention of the world for its approach to sustainable development, with it now regularly ranked as one of the best cities to live in the U.S. But what does Portland look like as a “sake city?” Does the local populace’s relatively high level of awareness in relation to food and beverage, as well as preference for “local” as well as “natural” (a word to tackle another day!) give it the potential to develop a unique local sake market that sets it apart from other major cities across North America?

Its these

topics and more that we delve into in this week’s episode of Sake On Air!

A quick

caveat about this week’s episode before listening: This was our first-time

recording “on the road.” To make a long story short, our recording tools and

methods for this (and a couple more upcoming shows that were recorded in the

U.S.) were highly makeshift. As a result, the recording quality and volume has

suffered a bit, but we hope that you’ll stick with us and that we were able to

make up for it with some fun and insightful content.

Let us

know what you thought of this week’s show (and the show in general) by leaving

a review for us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast streaming

service.

You can

follow along with our adventures on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and our  YouTube channel.

Send your

thoughts and feedback to as at [email protected],

or via the contact page on our

brand new website.

Thanks for listening.

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 a co-production between Export

Japan and Potts.K

Productions, with audio production

by Frank Walter.

Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow”

is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Over the

past year of doing Sake On Air, believe it or not, one of the most highly

requested show topics that we get from our listeners has been for us to do a deep-dive

exploring the backgrounds and stories of your regular hosts here on the show.

Originally

a bit hesitant – the entire purpose of the show is to provide a voice to those

in and around the industry that are underrepresented – we realized that we’ve been

doing this for quite a while now without ever properly communicating to our

listeners exactly who is involved and their

motivations behind, not only Sake On Air, but their involvement in the world of

sake.

So with

that, we bring you Part 1 of our “Know Your Hosts” series. Each episode will

include in-depth interviews with two of your regular Sake On Air hosts. Over

four episodes to be released intermittently over the coming months, you’ll have

the chance to learn a bit more about the people that came together in order to

make Sake On Air possible.

For Part

1, we hear from the show’s shochu ambassador, Christopher

Pellegrini, as

well as our deep culture guru and resident Frenchman, Sebastien

Lemoine.

Now that

we’ve gone through the process of recording all of these, we’re actually really

excited to finally share the stories of the people behind the microphones with

all of our listeners. If you have any questions for this week’s hosts (and

interviewees!), feel free to reach out to us at [email protected], or via the contact

page on our brand

new website.

If you

could take a moment to leave a review for us on Apple

Podcasts or your

favorite podcast streaming service, it really does wonders for helping us to

promote and grow the show.

Also be

sure to follow along with us on Instagram, Twiiter, and Facebook, and our  YouTube

channel is finally

in motion as well.

Thanks for listening, and 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 a

co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio

production by Frank Walter.

Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is

composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week’s episode is especially timely, as Justin managed to

squeeze in an interview with Stephen

Lyaman to coincide with the launch of his brand new book, The

Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks, co-authored together with Chris

Bunting, author of Drinking Japan, which released

October 1st in the U.S. and is already largely available

internationally thanks to Tuttle

Publishing.

Those familiar with Stephen’s work may associate mostly with Japan’s

beloved indigenous spirit, shochu. Sake On Air’s shochu aficionado, Christopher

Pellegrini sat down for an extensive interview with Stephen back in Episode

14. Giving that show a listen first will be a great primer for this week’s

discussion.

This week’s show is a lot of fun because we delve into a great deal

more than just sake and shochu. A rarity for the show, Stephen’s new book gave

us a great opportunity to discuss Japanese wine, whiskey, beer, cocktails, and

how all of these things play into the greater landscape of ‘drinking in Japan.’

Stephen is currently on the road promoting his new book, so be sure to

listen in for upcoming tour dates, as well as follow him on Twitter and Instagram in order to

keep tabs on the Kyushu-based founder of Kampai.us

and East Coast instructor for the Sake

School of America Certified Shochu Advisor Course, and hopefully thank him

in-person for his great contribution with The

Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks.

We’d love your thoughts and feedback on this week’s episode. Let us

know what excites you about shochu at [email protected]

You can always follow us on Instagram, Twiiter, and Facebook, and if you’re so

inclined, our YouTube

channel is finally just about up-to-date as well, for those that prefer

plenty of video-distractions just one click away.

Also, reviews

are great. If you have a moment, please do share a few kind words. It helps

the show like you wouldn’t believe.

Thanks for listening, and 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 a co-production between Export

Japan and Potts.K

Productions, with audio

production by Frank Walter.

Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is

composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

Cody Brailsford is a rather rare breed.

Now fuku-toji (assistant head

brewer) as of this recording, at Watanabe Sake Brewery, makers of Hourai brand

sake in the small countryside town of Hida

Furukawa in Gifu Prefecture, Cody has been toiling away in the brewery for well

over a decade.

As more sake breweries open across the

globe, and as breweries in Japan gradually open their doors (and minds) to the

prospect of greater diversity in the brewery, the number of non-Japanese people

working stints in Japanese sake breweries has grown significantly in recent

years.

However very few have dug in for the

long haul in the way that Cody has at Hourai. And his time and hard work have

clearly been recognized and appreciated, as he was just offered the position of

fuku-toji a matter of days before he sat down with us here at Sake On Air.

In addition to Cody’s “origin story”

and life as a brewer, we also discuss the challenges of taking a brewery from

hyper-local to international, the shift from brewing to communicating, the

transition from one toji guild to another, and much more.

Christopher Hughes and Justin

Potts are your navigators for this session.

Pour yourself a beverage (or several) and settle in for fascinating glimpse

into the world of sake brewing in Japan with a gentleman whose experience and

perspective are truly one-of-a-kind.

You can learn more about, as well as

follow the adventures of Cody and Hourai Sake at any of the outlets below.

Watanabe

Sake Brewery Official Website:

Cody on Instagram

Hourai on Instagram

Be sure to let us know what you think

by leaving us a review on Apple

Podcasts, or wherever you get your regular serving of Sake On Air.

You can follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter via @sakeonair. Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] as well.

Until next week – 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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio

production by Frank Walter.

Our

theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week’s episode is exactly what the title says: an interview with Shinichiro Shimizu, the president of Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, better known as makers of the incredibly popular brand of sake, ZAKU.

Zaku has taken both Japan and the world by storm in recent years, being awarded top accolades in just about every sake competition under the sun, while simultaneously establishing itself as a staple on the drink menus of many casual dining izakaya, as well as appearing regularly on the drink menus of establishments committed to the super high-end of the spectrum. Continually permeating into more and more international markets, this humble brewery of Mie Prefecture is turning into a household name.

Chris and Justin wanted to know how Zaku got to where it was today and understand the ethos driving this brewery that is creating an outstanding place for itself in the sake world on it’s own terms.

You’ll notice immediately that this week’s episode is a bit different. This particular interview was conducted several months back entirely in Japanese. We’ve been sitting on this for a while because it takes a significant amount of resources to transform such content into something that will be useful to the majority of our listeners.

That being said, we think that content of this nature is terribly important. One of our primary goals here at Sake On Air is to help give a voice to the amazing people shaping the future of the sake industry. Arranging, conducting, dubbing and editing in the way that we have this week is one way to go about doing that.

Being an entirely auditory platform, the means through which we can make this sort of content available to our listeners is somewhat limited. We took a first crack at it this week. We know that it isn’t perfect, but we’re proud of it. We also know that we have plenty of room to improve.

Please do let us know what you thought of this week’s episode. Let us know if you enjoy and would like more of this type of content. Or, if you have other ideas or suggestions for how we might make this sort of content accessible to our listeners, please let us know.

While you’re at it, please do take a moment to review the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your regular dose of Sake On Air.

A huge ‘Thank You’ is in order. Mr. Shuso Imada, took on the gargantuan job of being the voice of this week’s interviewee, Mr. Shinichiro Shimizu. We sort of threw him right into the fire and he did a stellar job. Imada-san, arigato!

You can follow Shuso and the rest of the Sake On Air team’s adventures on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter via @sakeonair.

Be sure to send your questions and comments to [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in.

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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter.

Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

When you start talking sake (or shochu), you don’t get too far in before finding that you need to address koji. That’s what Justin, (big) Chris and Sebastien set out to do this week. As Japan’s magical mold, Aspergillus oryzae, begins to gain traction, not just throughout the world of brewing, but  in the culinary realm and the larger movement reexamining the power of fermentation, the number of questions is rising right alongside the rising interest and excitement – and there’s a lot of be excited about.

What exactly is (and is not) koji? Where does it come from? What does it do? Why should you care? Should you be rethinking your skincare practices and integrating Amino Rice? Should you raise your awareness around kojic acid? We only scratch the surface as we ramble and meander a bit this week, but we’re currently arranging to bring some true specialists in the field into the studio so that we can really dig deep into the nitty-gritty. It just means that you have that much more Sake On Air to look forward to!

In the meantime, you can follow our adventures on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter via @sakeonair.

If would be so kind as to review the show on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your regular dose of Sake On Air, it would mean the world to us.

Questions and comments can be sent to [email protected]

Thanks for tuning in.

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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter.

Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week John Gauntner takes over as master of ceremonies, as Rebekah Wilson-Lye, Chris Hughes and Justin Potts combine forces to help flesh out an all-important and ever-evolving element of sake that sits at the core of some of the most important conversations: rice types.

Aside from just the distinction between sake rice and standard rice varieties used in sake production, the team discusses influence on the beverage’s character and profile, regionality, agricultural challenges, issues of access and economics, current trends, and more.As with all of our episodes, we can’t cover everything in 60 minutes. Following the recording we discussed the possibility of putting together a number of different shows based on the relationship between rice and sake, from historical, to agri-specific, to entire shows examining single varietals. If there’s a specific topic that you’d be excited to hear us discuss, please let us know! You can send your ideas, feedback and words of encouragement to [email protected] Follow along with our day-to-day shenanigans via @sakeonair on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. If you’d be so kind as to leave us a review along with a few kind words on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever it is you get your regular dose of Sake On Air, it would mean the world to us. We’ve got a handful of announcements coming very soon – stay tuned! As always, thanks for listening, and 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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter. Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

This week John Gauntner takes over as master of ceremonies, as Rebekah Wilson-Lye, Chris Hughes and Justin Potts combine forces to help flesh out an all-important and ever-evolving element of sake that sits at the core of some of the most important conversations: rice types.

 

Aside from just the distinction between sake rice and standard rice varieties used in sake production, the team discusses influence on the beverage’s character and profile, regionality, agricultural challenges, issues of access and economics, current trends, and more.

 

As with all of our episodes, we can’t cover everything in 60 minutes. Following the recording we discussed the possibility of putting together a number of different shows based on the relationship between rice and sake, from historical, to agri-specific, to entire shows examining single varietals.

 

If there’s a specific topic that you’d be excited to hear us discuss, please let us know! You can send your ideas, feedback and words of encouragement to [email protected]

 

Follow along with our day-to-day shenanigans via @sakeonair on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

 

If you’d be so kind as to leave us a review along with a few kind words on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever it is you get your regular dose of Sake On Air, it would mean the world to us.

 

We’ve got a handful of announcements coming very soon – stay tuned!

 

As always, thanks for listening, and 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 a co-production between Export Japan and Potts.K Productions, with audio production by Frank Walter.

 

Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

The rise in sake’s presence at notable restaurants and gastronomic celebrations across the globe in recent years is in no small part due to the individuals that have taken it upon themselves to craft the physical bridges for transport while also blazing new trails in their home territory.

 

Albeit an entirely unintended development (story in the show!), an unexpected turn-of-events placed Pablo Alomar Salvioni on an untrodden trail which led him to becoming one of the pioneers of the sake movement in Spain, a country with a rich and respected food culture all it’s own, which has also developed as hotbed for pioneering culinary innovation.

 

Through S&A (Salvioni & Alomar), Pablo brings not only sake, but also an array of hand-picked, high-quality fermented food products (soy sauce, vinegars, etc.), tea, and glassware to some of Spain’s most exciting dining establishments. In bringing incredible product to Spain, working as both an educator and catalyst for the development of local sake culture, he has also been central in bringing some of the most exciting people from Japan’s culinary world together with Spanish food lovers.

 

This week, following a recent trip to Spain where she explored local wine together with Pablo and a handful of inspiring sake brewers, Rebekah slips into the conductor’s chair this week, joined by little Chris (Pellegrini!) and Sebastien, where they explore the possibilities and challenges involved in bridging borders through food and sake.

 

While we’ve introduced her here-and-there over the past couple of months, and she has had a bit of a presence on the show recently, this is the first episode where you’ll all truly get a taste of the incredible contribution that Rebekah is bringing to Sake On Air. Her articulate nature and vast knowledge base will further be on display as she beckons more exciting guests to the show in the coming months. Stay tuned!

 

Follow Pablo, Salvioni & Alomar, as well as his wine-centric business, Sourcing the Earth, at any or all of the sites below.

 

Salvioni & Alomar

https://www.salvioni-alomar.com/

Facebook

Instagram

Sourcing the Earth

https://www.sourcingtheearth.com/

 

Pablo on Social Media

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

 

For Sake On Air, you can follow us at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Please send your questions,