Best Nihonshu Podcasts (2024)

1
Back to School: The Sake Studies Center at Brooklyn Kura 32:54

2h ago32:54

32:54

Episode 171. This week we go back to school...again! Timothy's new role as the Director of Education at the Sake Studies Center at Brooklyn Kura is the focus of today's episode. The Sake Studies Center is the new sake school on the block, offering education, tastings and brewery tours for professionals and sake-curious consumers alike at our state-…

1
Interview with Ryan Mellinger of Joto Sake 33:24

8d ago33:24

33:24

Episode 170. We were so happy to sit down to chat and sip sake with our friend Ryan Mellinger, the General Manager of the Joto Sake imports portfolio at Kobrand. Ryan explains to us, in an easy to understand way, the intricacies of the complex "three tier system" of alcohol distribution that we have in the States and all that goes into getting fres…

1
Sake Vessels: Tokkuri 29:21

1M ago29:21

29:21

Episode 169. This week, we are returning to our series on sake vessels, but this time looking at sake serviceware in particular. We're focusing in on the Tokkuri, the workhorse carafe used for sake service across the world. Tokkuri carafes can be used to serve sake chilled, room temperature, and to warm it up as well. The materials used to make tok…

1
Prefecture Profile: Exploring Oita with Chris Johnson 34:00

3M ago34:00

34:00

Episode 168. We are off to explore the sake scene in another region of Japan! This time it is beautiful Oita Prefecture! As we don't know much about Oita, despite there being 33 sake breweries there, we needed to phone-a-friend. Luckily for us, our buddy Chris Johnson (aka The Sake Ninja) lived for 3 years in rural Oita on the Jet program. Chris ge…

1
Funky Packaging: Kikusui Funaguchi Smart Pouch 31:37

3M ago31:37

31:37

Episode 167. If we think about sake, usually an image of a glass bottle pops to mind. But if we scratch the surface and investigate a bit more the way that sake is packaged and shipped, there is a world of variety out there you may not have considered! This leads us to our latest series we are calling "Funky Packaging"... think of it as sake beyond…

1
Funky Packaging: Maneki Wanko 29:06

4M ago29:06

29:06

Episode 166. If we think about sake, usually an image of a glass bottle pops to mind. But if we scratch the surface of exploring how sake is packaged and shipped, there is a world of variety out there you may not have considered! This leads us to our latest series we are calling "Funky Packaging" - think of it as sake beyond the glass bottle. Cups,…

1
Kobo Chronicals: CEL-24 29:00

5M ago29:00

29:00

Episode 165. If you hear the term "CEL-24" and the first thing you think of is prison, and not a sake yeast, I don't think anyone would blame you. But today we're here to spread the word on CEL-24 sake yeast and it's role in bringing us some of the most fruit-driven sake aromas on the planet. Developed in Kochi prefecture in the 90's, CEL-24 was a …

1
Deep Faith: Supporting Noto 25:11

5M ago25:11

25:11

Episode 164. On New Year's Day, 2024, the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture was the epicenter of a major earthquake measuring a 7.6 on the Richter scale. The affected areas are especially well known for sake brewing and in Ishikawa in particular, 24 out of 33 Ishikawa Sake Brewery Association member breweries suffered damage, with 8 suffering c…

1
Serious Baggage: Bringing Sake Back from Japan 34:48

7M ago34:48

34:48

Episode 163. Word on the street is that travel to Japan is surging! One of the joys of travel to Japan is returning with a suitcase full of sake! But how best to do it?! This week, John and Timothy discuss the ins and outs of bringing back sake from Japan. What's allowed and what's not! Where to buy sake and how to package it. Import duties and dut…

1
Sake Revolution 2023 Recap: Our Year in Sake 33:03

8M ago33:03

33:03

Episode 162. With 2023 drawing to a close, it's time to take a look back at the sake year that was. Join us this week for some casual sipping and some discussion on the highlights, surprises and challenges of this past year's sake adventures. Tim and John both let us know their favorite sake stories and their favorite episodes from the past year. D…

1
Branded: Masumi 30:04

8M ago30:04

30:04

Episode 161. This week, John and Timothy explore another brand profile: Masumi from Miyasaka Jozo in Nagano Prefecture. Most well known as the birthplace of Association Number 7 sake yeast, Masumi has a long history dating back to 1662. Located on beautiful Lake Suwa, Masumi is a brand that is well known outside of Japan. The brand name of "Masumi"…

1
Wild Rice: Hattannishiki 30:28

9M ago30:28

30:28

Episode 160. It's time to get wild again! Wild about sake rice, that is. Wild Rice is our series where we look closer at different strains of sake rice and what makes them unique. This time around, we look to a rice native to Hiroshima Prefecture - Hattannishiki. Known to not grow as tall as other sake rice, but still have a well developed shinpaku…

1
Sake Vessel Series: Guinomi 32:08

10M ago32:08

32:08

Episode 159. Week in and week out, our standard gear for tasting and evaluating sake is a simple wine glass. This works really well and almost everybody has one nearby. But in Japan, there are a wide variety of shapes, materials and sizes used to make cups for drinking sake. That got us wondering if we should take some other cups out for a test dri…

1
Extreme Sake: Doburoku 29:19

10M ago29:19

29:19

Episode 158. Enough playing it safe! It's time for another walk on the high wire that is our extreme sake series! This time, the guys skirt the law and explore the rough and ready style of home-brew style sake known as Doburoku. While Home brewing of doburoku has been outlawed in Japan for over a hundred years, Doburoku can be produced legally in s…

1
LIVE! The American Craft Sake Festival 2023: Byron Stithem of Proper Sake Co 30:22

11M ago30:22

30:22

Episode 157. For our final episode recorded live at this year’s American Craft Sake Festival, we are happy to bring you another U.S. sake brewer interview. This time, we visit with our pal Byron Stithem, owner and brewer at Nashville’s Proper Sake Co., and the owner at Rice Vice, the attached sake bar and restaurant. Byron has lots to celebrate… as…

1
LIVE! The American Craft Sake Festival 2023: Blake Richardson and Nick Lowry of Moto-i 30:49

11M ago30:49

30:49

Episode 156. Again this week, we revisit our field trip to the American Craft Sake Festival held this year in Charlottesville VA and bring you another U.S. sake brewer interview. This time, we get a two-for-one as we interview Blake Richardson and Nick Lowry of Moto-i Sake Brewery, which is based in Minneapolis, MN. Founded by Blake in 2008, Moto-i…

1
LIVE! The American Craft Sake Festival 2023: Whitney Isbell Jones of Isbell Farms 33:44

12M ago33:44

33:44

Episode 155. Our visit to the American Craft Sake Festival was awash with brewers, but one non-sake booth in particular caught our eye. Without rice, there is no sake and we had the chance to sit down with Whitney Isbell Jones of the world famous Isbell Rice Farm in England, Arkansas. Whitney grew up on the farm and tells us the story of how her fa…

1
Natsu Sake: Chill Out with Seasonal Sips for Summer 27:03

1y ago27:03

27:03

Episode 154. Taking a quick detour from our American Craft Sake Festival series, we're sneaking in a seasonally appropriate episode before it's too late. "Natsu Sake" or summer sake, is a new-ish genre of brews meant to take the edge off of the sweltering summer heat, all while letting us enjoy the flavors of sake in the summer. Often presented in …

1
LIVE! The American Craft Sake Festival 2023: Justin LeVaughn of The Void Sake Company 28:23

1y ago28:23

28:23

Episode 153. Listen in as we continue our series of live interviews from the American Craft Sake Festival 2023! This week it's all about SAKE Y'ALL, as the T-shirt of our interviewee says. We welcome Co-founder and Head Brewer of The Void Sake Company, Justin LeVaughn. Justin runs Kentucky's only sake brewery founded in 2020. He talks to us about h…

1
LIVE! The American Craft Sake Festival 2023: Sake Brewers Roundtable 25:56

1y ago25:56

25:56

Episode 152. This week, we take Sake Revolution on the road! John and Timothy recently attended the 3rd annual American Craft Sake Festival in Charlottesville, VA. Sake Revolution hosted a live podcast recording of a "brewers roundtable" on stage in front of an enthusiastic crowd of sake lovers at the Festival. We were lucky enough to interview Bla…

1
Rice Advice: A Chat with Brooklyn Kura's Brandon Doughan 29:12

1y ago29:12

29:12

Episode 151. Everyone knowns that sake is made from rice, but how much of a role does rice variety really play in a sake's taste? We're lucky enough to have a Toji on speed dial! We phoned up our friend and local sake brewmaster Brandon Doughan, the Toji at New York's first sake brewery, Brooklyn Kura. We tasted two of Brandon's sakes: their well-l…

1
Sake Spotlight: Shiga 27:53

1y ago27:53

27:53

Episode 150. This week we continue our series on prefecture profiles with a special focus on those prefectures that are "landlocked" with no access to the sea or ocean. Despite no ocean view, Shiga is awash in water with 20% of it's area covered by Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake! This water feeds a robust rice growing industry and there is a healt…

1
Sake Spotlight: Gunma 33:47

1y ago33:47

33:47

Episode 149. This week we return to another fun and sake-rich prefecture: Gunma! This area is home to onsens, national parks, record breaking tunnels and some pretty darn good sake. After we first touched on this region in episode 8, we thought it deserved another visit and a bit more exploration of their food, culture and traditions. We'll taste a…

1
Behind the Mask: Exploring Sake Skincare and Cosmetics 31:49

1+ y ago31:49

31:49

Episode 148. Did you know that there is a booming business in skincare products made from sake? In this episode, we dive face first into the world of sake beauty products, from the use of sake in your bath, to sake kasu used to soften skin and finally to the science behind kojic acid and how it's used in a variety of commercially available sake ski…

1
Apple of my Eye: Kinoene “Ripe Apple” Sake 28:03

1+ y ago28:03

28:03

Episode 147. How do you like them apples?! When we discovered the Kinoene "ripe apple" Junmai Ginjo sake from Iinuma Honke Brewery, we knew we need to take a bite and find out what this unique sake is all about. This took us on a journey exploring yeast, acidity and some pretty extreme fruity flavors. It may very well be a case of comparing apples …

1
Exploring Sake Labels 32:41

1+ y ago32:41

32:41

Episode 146. Do you judge a book by it's cover? Or even more likely, perhaps you've purchased a sake based only on the label? Since we've all been there, we thought it might be fun to explore the world of sake labels and share some likes, dislikes and survival tips for navigating your way around a bottle of sake. In particular, learn our technique …

1
Tippsy Sake Club with Sachiko Miyagi 30:17

1+ y ago30:17

30:17

Episode 145. TippsySake.com is a well known online retailer of sake in the U.S. and when they launched their new Tippsy Sake Club in March, John and Timothy knew they had to check it out. To get started, Tippsy designed an interactive online quiz that walks you through a few questions to help identify the sakes that might be the best match for your…

1
Think Pink! Sake Under the Cherry Blossoms 28:51

1+ y ago28:51

28:51

Episode 144. This week, we “think pink”! Hanami is the Japanese tradition of picnicking under cherry trees in full bloom. It’s a treasured seasonal pastime in Japan that is carefully tracked and timed for friends and family to enjoy blossom viewing at its peak. The cherry blossoms represent the fleeting nature of beauty and how it is worthwhile to …

1
Sake in the Movies with Ben Haslar 33:06

1+ y ago33:06

33:06

Episode 143. Lights, Camera, Action! This week we are joined by fellow podcaster, film buff and sake fanatic Ben Haslar, from the Reels of Justice podcast to talk sakes and film. We focus primarily on the famous Birth of Sake documentary from 2015, a film that explores sake making at Ishikawa prefecture's Yoshida Shuzoten, the makers of the Tedorig…

1
Sake In The News 2 32:50

1+ y ago32:50

32:50

Episode 142. Stop the presses! Sake is back again in the news recently and we wanted to take a look at some of the latest newsworthy sake headlines hitting our shores. This week, we'll discuss the New York Times' declaration that "Sake is Booming in America" and talk about their comprehensive take on sake. We'll also look at a report out of Japan t…

1
Interview with Reiko Hirai of DC Sake Co 29:47

1+ y ago29:47

29:47

Episode 141. When you think of Washington DC, What pops to mind? Maybe the White House? or perhaps the picturesque cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin each spring? If this week's guest has her way, when you think of DC, you'll soon think of "sake"! Reiko Hirai is the founder of DC Sake Co - an online sake retailer serving the Washington DC area.…

1
Sake Vessel Series: Edo Kiriko 28:50

1+ y ago28:50

28:50

Episode 140. Week in and week out, our standard gear for tasting and evaluating sake is a simple wine glass. This works really well and almost everybody has one nearby. But in Japan, there are a wide variety of shapes, materials and sizes used to make cups for drinking sake. That got us wondering if we should take some other cups out for a test dri…

1
Ice, Ice Baby: Sake on the Rocks 30:25

1+ y ago30:25

30:25

Episode 139. If you enjoy the sound of ice cubes clinking in a glass, this may be the episode for you! This week, John and Timothy crack open the topic of sake on the rocks! Pouring sake over ice may not be the norm, but it can be a treat with the right kind of sake... and the right kind of ice. We'll experiment with tasting our higher alcohol gens…

1
Umami Mart with Kayoko Akabori and Yoko Kumano 31:36

1+ y ago31:36

31:36

Episode 138 This week we're proud to introduce you to our friends at Umami Mart: Kayoko Akabori and Yoko Kumano. These sake pioneers took Umami Mart from a food-focused blog back in the aughts to the outstanding sake retailer, cocktail bar, online shop and Oakland CA community hub we know today. At Umami Mart, you can buy all kinds of Japanese good…

1
Be My Valentine: Pairing Sake and KitKats 32:10

1+ y ago32:10

32:10

Episode 137. One of the most famous sweet treats to come out of Japan in recent years are the seasonal and sometimes funky-flavored Nestle KitKats. It seems that for every season or any reason there is an exclusive, limited edition KitKat flavor. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we thought it might be fun to pair some unusually-flavored Japanese KitKa…

1
U.S. Sake Brewer Series: Farthest Star Sake with Todd Bellomy 31:36

1+ y ago31:36

31:36

Episode 136. Sitting down with another U.S. sake brewer, this week John and Timothy interview Todd Bellomy, founder and brewer at Farthest Star Sake in Medfield Massachusetts. As New England's only sake brewery, it has become Todd's mission to introduce his customers to the adventure of discovering freshly brewed, local sake. At his sci-fi themed t…

1
Branded: Gokyo Five 31:48

1+ y ago31:48

31:48

Episode 135. Ready, Set, GO! This week, John and Timothy explore another brand profile: Gokyo Five from Sakai Shuzo in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Yes, we are returning not only to Yamaguchi, but also to the town of Iwakuni for this week’s episode. The town is famous for it’s 5 arched Kintai Bridge and Gokyo “GO” FIVE (Go means 5 in Japanese) is a fun br…

1
Back To School: Sake Courses & Certifications 35:29

1+ y ago35:29

35:29

Episode 134. This time of year, many people think about going back to school to advance their careers, but have you considered going back to SAKE school? Let's study up on all the various sake courses and certifications out there to help us learn more about our favorite drink. If you dream of a career in sake, the right class might be just the tick…

1
Wild Rice: Akamai 31:31

1+ y ago31:31

31:31

Episode 133. It's time to get wild again! Wild about sake rice, that is. Wild Rice is our series where we look closer at different strains of sake rice and what makes them unique. This time around, we take things a bit literally and look at a true heritage wild rice strain that is used to make sake. A "wild rice" episode featuring an actual wild ri…

1
Sake Revolution 2022 Recap: Our Year in Sake 32:37

1+ y ago32:37

32:37

Episode 132. With 2022 drawing to a close, it's time to take a look back at the sake year that was. Join us this week for some casual sipping and some discussion on the highlights, surprises and challenges of this past year's sake adventures. Tim and John both let us know their favorite sakes and their favorite episodes from the past year. What was…

1
Holiday Sake: Senkin Snowman Nigori 33:21

1+ y ago33:21

33:21

Episode 131. The holidays are returning and along with them, the eternal question - what gift is best?! We know the answer! Sake is an amazing gift for friends, family and colleagues. This week Timothy and John have a "wrap" session dedicated to all things sake-gifting. As for tasting, we'll introduce you to a snow globe in a bottle - the Senkin "S…

1
The Kobo Chronicles: Sanuki Olive Yeast 30:56

1+ y ago30:56

30:56

Episode 130. Join us this week as John and Timothy go down the rabbit hole in search of what could be described as the most unique sake yeast out there! This takes us over 100 years back in time to the establishment of the first olive trees in Japan planted in the rural Sanuki region of Kagawa Prefecture which we learned went on to become the natio…

1
Sake Spotlight: Yamaguchi 35:04

1+ y ago35:04

35:04

Episode 129. This week we focus our spotlight on sake and stories from another prefecture: Yamaguchi! Well known in Japan as the home to the poisonous but delicious Fugu (Japanese blowfish aka pufferfish), there are a number of outstanding breweries in the Prefecture. Located on the far western tip of Japan's main Honshu island, Yamaguchi is not cl…

1
Sake Vessels: Yanagi Glass 30:16

2y ago30:16

30:16

Episode 128. Week in and week out, our standard gear for tasting and evaluating sake is a simple wine glass. This works really well and almost everybody has one nearby. But in Japan, there are a wide variety of shapes, materials and sizes used to make cups for drinking sake. That got us wondering if we should take some other cups out for a test dri…

1
Live From Japan! 34:21

2y ago34:21

34:21

Episode 127. Dreams do come true! Since its inception, the guys at Sake Revolution has been hoping to do an episode where at least one of them is reporting in “live from Japan”. With the covid restrictions finally easing, travel to Japan is allowed again and John jumped at the chance to visit our favorite destination! This week is a casual check in…

1
Branded: Kamonishiki 28:50

2y ago28:50

28:50

Episode 126. This week, John and Timothy explore another brand profile: Kamonishiki from Niigata Prefecture. This small brewery breaks the mold on what most people expect from a typical Niigata brewery – that is, classic, crisp and dry flavors along with even more classic labels. The packaging for Kamonishiki’s Nifudazake line really steals the sho…

1
The Sake Advent Calendar with Namazake Paul 31:42

2y ago31:42

31:42

Episode 125. Believe it or not, the holiday season is sneaking up on us again! And while you may be finalizing your halloween costume, we are thinking ahead to enjoying sake this December. What better way to do this than with the world’s only Sake Advent Calendar! Created for the second year in a row by sake retailer Namazake Paul, the calendar has…

1
Sake Vessel Series: Kikichoko 32:12

2y ago32:12

32:12

Episode 124. Week in and week out, our standard gear for tasting and evaluating sake is a simple wine glass. This works really well and almost everybody has one nearby. But in Japan, there are a wide variety of shapes, materials and sizes used to make cups for drinking sake. That got us wondering if we should take some other cups out for a test dri…

1
Discovering the Sake Secret with Greg Beck 30:12

2y ago30:12

30:12

Episode 123. Can you keep a secret? We usually can... unless it involves sake intel that's hot off the presses. This week, we have a fun interview with California sake expert and sommelier Greg Beck. Greg is the founder and owner of Sake Secret, an L.A. County sake pop up. He studied Japanese in college and found his way to sake through the festiva…

1
Sake Storage 30:09

2y ago30:09

30:09

Episode 122. A long overdue return to the Sake Education Corner lets us explore a common question affecting everyone who brings a bottle of sake home - what's the deal with sake storage?! How long can you keep your sake before opening, after opening, at what temperature, in what location, and what to avoid. While the lawyerly answer to any of these…

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