Sake Revolution

Season 1. Episode 41. The word “futsu” in Japanese means regular or ordinary. In the sake industry, Futsushu is the word we use to refer to NON-premium sake. That is regular, ordinary or what some might call “table” sake. However, Futsushu is not one size fits all. What makes ordinary sake ordinary? Often it comes down to the rules and regulations for how premium sake is defined in Japan. With the...

Season 1. Episode 40.  Today we focus on another "Sake Spotlight" - this time it is the far north prefecture of Iwate.  This is a rural and and sparsely populated part of the country with a total of approximately 20 sake breweries total.  Lots of snow and agriculture, too. Despite it's remote location, sakes from Iwate have made their way around the world and Tim and John will taste...

Season 1. Episode 39.  New Year's resolutions come in all shapes and sizes, but we here on the podcast are looking at our Revolution Resolutions - namely, our sake goals for 2021!  The New year is one of the most important holidays in Japan.  The Japanese flock to their local shinto shrine to pray for a healthy and auspicious new year.  One tradition that is a bit less common is the drinking...

A quick look back on Sake Revolution 2020 and a few hints about whats coming up for 2021.  Happy New Year from Sake Revolution! Support the show

Season 1. Episode 38. As a follow up to Episode 22, where we met John's wife Myshell, and explored a bit what its like to be married to a sake nerd, this week the tables are turned!  Let's meet Scott, Tim's better half!  When you're not really a drinker, how much sake know-how do you really absorb over 15 years of tagging along to tastings, sake events and pairing dinners?  ......

Season 1. Episode 37. You’ve got the Avengers, and your Justice League Heroes but did you know we’ve got some sake superheroes too? This week John and Tim interview Sakeman Red a.k.a Nick Matsumoto. Nick is part of team Sakeman, who describe themselves as “A team of athletic, sake superheroes who import their own brands and educate the masses!” Nick first connected with the Sakeman group through h...

Season 1. Episode 36. Shoe leather? Starfruit? Pheasant Skin?   Have you ever heard a - let's say - "advanced" sake aroma or taste description that left you feeling a little bit lost? What if you feel like you're not picking up on the nuance or subtlety in sake?  That is exactly the question one of our listeners asked us by email.   In this episode, John and Tim break down the...

Season 1. Episode 35. "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."    When Shakespeare's Juliet is coming to terms with the fact that she is crushing hard on Romeo - her family's sworn enemy - she muses on the meaning and importance of names. Is what's true for roses also true for sake?  This week John and Timothy dive into the...

Season 1. Episode 34.  Continuing our series of interviews with U.S. sake brewers, this week we sit down with Yoshihiro Sako, owner and brewer at Den Sake Brewery in Oakland, California.  Yoshi comes from the hospitality side of the sake industry and brings a true love of sake over to the world of U.S. sake production.  Hailing from Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan, Yoshi is the ultimate ambassador of...

Season 1. Episode 33.  Do you know your way to New York's most legit and old school sake bar?  Walk east on 9th street until you see the "On Air" sign just before second ave.  Descend the stairs and behind the door you'll find Decibel, the ultimate underground sake bar. If you find yourself in a dark and graffiti-covered basement, you're in the right place. Opened in 1993...

Season 1. Episode 32. This week, Timothy and John connect with a special guest for an interview and tasting.  Brian Ashcraft is a well known writer focusing on the subjects of video games and Japanese culture.  His most recent publication is The Japanese Sake Bible: Everything You Need to Know About Great Sake (With Tasting Notes and Scores for Over 100 Top Brands).  It's a marvelous book tha...

Season 1. Episode 31. This episode can be summed up in a word: "Tokubetsu"... now that just means Special.  If you want to short and sweet version you are done! But looking a little deeper, there are a few reasons why a brewery might label a sake their "tokubetsu" or special sake.  In almost all cases, Tokubetsu is applied to either Junmai or Honjozo sakes.  These two Classific...

Season 1. Episode 30. OK, Halloween is around the corner and sake is usually not that scary at all. But what if someone else picked a sake for you – and then you had to taste it blind!? Now we are getting into fearful territory. Well, to celebrate the notion of trick or treat, that is exactly what Tim and John are up to this week. They bought each other a mystery sake that was delivered and served...

Season 1. Episode 29. Sometimes cabin fever gets you down and you just want to get away... and we mean away-away.  That got us thinking, how far west could we go from NYC and still explore a major sake region.  Past Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe - That landed us on the far, far west of Kyushu Island in Saga Prefecture.  This out of the way gem of a sake region is home to several outstanding breweries and als...

Season 1. Episode 28. This is the first in a new series of interviews with U.S. sake brewers.  There are few things more fun for a sake fan, than to sit down and drink a delicious sake with the people who actually brewed it.  For our first brewer interview, we don't stray too far from home. We had a great time talking to our friends Brian Polen and Brandon Doughan of New York's Brooklyn...

Season 1. Episode 27. Ok...if I say, "Quick - think of Tokyo!"  What image pops to mind?  Maybe skyscrapers? Over-stuffed subway cars?  Maybe even Blade Runner?? You might be surprised to learn that Tokyo is not just the city proper but also a region (Similar to New York City compared to New York State).  There is lots of countryside with rolling hills and even rivers to explore.  Today...

Season 1. Episode 26. The Revolution will be broadcast live... on Sake Day! As part of the online "Sake Day USA" festival and fundraiser put on by the non-profit American Sake Association, 501(c)(3), Sake Revolution joined in the celebration by streaming a live podcast episode as part of the celebration.  The American Sake Association’s “Sake Day USA” was a virtual gathering on Oct 1st a...

Season 1. Episode 25. Some podcasts have been around for years, but our little sake show has only been on the air for five months.  In that time, with a little hard work and a lot of sake, we've hit two milestones: 5,000 listener downloads and 25 published episodes! What better way to toast our achievement than with the ultimate celebration sake - we are talking sparkling!  Also known as &quo...

Season 1. Episode 24. Grab your scarf and your ginko nuts!  Step away from the pumpkin spice!  This week's episode is all about what we refer to as "Fall Nama" or Hiyaoroshi.  This is a type of Namazume that is once pasteurized and released in the fall season.  In addition to Hiyaoroshi, Akiagari is another type of fall sake released on the market at this time.  both of these styles...

Season 1. Episode 23. This week John and Timothy travel to Hiroshima and reminisce about their trips there.  From the sake neighborhood of Saijo, to back alley unagi restaurants to the magical Miyajima torii gate, Hiroshima has many wonders for the sake lover!  Both sakes we are tasting today celebrate Hiroshima local Hattan-nishiki sake rice - one full bodied and rice-y, one elegant and silky.  O...

Season 1. Episode 22. First comes love, then comes… sake? What is it like to marry a hardcore sake nerd? This week we go right to the source and interview our Host John Puma’s Better Half, the lovely Myshell! She takes us behind the scenes and gives us the lowdown on a live steeped in sake and the secret advantage of a sake-nerd spouse… you get to skip the jet fuel sake and leap ahead right to the...

Season 1. Episode 21.  Travel anywhere in the world and the standard wine bottle will be the same size - 750ml.  But in Japan, the standard sake bottles measure 720ml.  What gives? Well, wouldn't you know that sake has a unique system of measuring volume - and it's all based off of one "go".  What's  "go" you ask?  A "Go" is equal to 180 milliliters......

Season 1. Episode 20. Do you know where to find the "Country of Beautiful Sake"? If you answered Japan's AKITA prefecture - you're right!  Akita is a rural and rice-proud prefecture in the far north of Japan.  This agricultural hub produces a lot of rice and a lot of sake.  Timothy explains his encounters with one of the most famous foods from this region - Iburigakko.  No Joke...

Season 1. Episode 19. Sometimes there are happy accidents.  This week, John and Timothy discover they both brought the same sake to the Sake Revolution party...  This could have been an embarrassing Faux Pas, but instead they resolve to make the best of things and dive deep into this week's sake.  We are talking Born "Gold" Junmai Daiginjo.  It turns out, all that glitters IS gold w...

Season 1, Episode 18.  Everyone's gotta start somewhere and every revolution has its beginning.  In this week's episode, John and Tim look back at how each of them came do discover sake.  Tim introduces us to Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo, the sake that got him started after his A-Ha moment at a New York City sushi restaurant. That fateful dinner lead to a new career and a new marriage!  One si...