Category: Guest Posts

Guest Posts · Sake Reviews

Guest Post: Tensai Touji no Nyukonshu (Brewer’s Perfection) by Watanabe Sake Brewery Co., Ltd (Hourai) Review

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Despite accounting for a large majority of all sake consumed within Japan, futsushu remains the least desirable classification in the West. For most sake is an unusual and somewhat luxurious product, consumed on special occasions. Sampling premium styles with bold, distinctive flavours makes the experience worthwhile and memorable. Futsushu’s reputation as simple ‘table sake’ doesn’t play well to this. For those who do wish to give futsushu a go, Yucho Brewery’s Choya is by far the obvious choice, being inexpensive and readily available.

Continue reading “Guest Post: Tensai Touji no Nyukonshu (Brewer’s Perfection) by Watanabe Sake Brewery Co., Ltd (Hourai) Review” →

Guest Posts

Guest Post: The Challenges Of Making Sake Outside Of Japan (Part 2)

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This follow up article builds on the two areas – “ingredients and equipment” – previously investigated which continue to cause challenges to international sake breweries, often leaving their owners scratching their heads, and reaching for their cheque books.

So, assuming you have your brewery now built and all the ingredients to hand, ready for that first fermentation, can you confidently fire up the rice washer and steamer with enough knowhow to make even a passable end sake?

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Guest Posts

Guest Post: The Challenges Of Making Sake Outside Of Japan (Part 1)

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Twenty-five years ago, as Coolio topped the US charts and let us take a look around his Gangsta’s Paradise, on the other side of the world, just 3.3m bold adventurers chose to visit Japan as their holiday destination, ranking it a lowly 34th most visited country.

Ten years later, visitor numbers were over twice that and, despite a blip in growth due to the Fukushima incident almost a decade ago, Japan’s popularity hasn’t looked back. 

One of the main reasons for this has been the popularity of Japanese food. And what goes well with all that yakitori, sashimi and okonomiyaki goodness? Well, beer of course, but also sake. In 2019 the sake export market was ¥23.4bn (up 25% from just two years earlier), more than triple that of 2009, with the largest importer being the United States, with China and Hong Kong second and third.

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Guest Posts

Guest Post: Fighting Viruses And Ignorance

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The Coronavirus has caused xenophobia towards people of Asian descent.

Kung flu, Chinese coronavirus, Chinese virus, and Wuhan virus. Those are just some of the derogatory nicknames people have applied to the COVID-19 virus. Even worse, this derision and bullying goes far beyond names for the virus.

People have physically and verbally attacked Asian people. The perpetrators thought that their victims had COVID-19, helped it spread, or came from places they associated with it. People have also insulted Asian countries. Such attacks during times of international crisis are not new, but there are ways to combat them. Continue reading “Guest Post: Fighting Viruses And Ignorance” →