Sake On Air

EP 24 – Zaku Interview w/ President Shinichiro Shimizu

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 questions@sakeonair.com   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.

EP 23 – Koji Basics

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 questions@sakeonair.com 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.

EP 22 – Rice Types

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 questions@sakeonair.com   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.

EP 21 – Sake in Spain w/ Pablo Alomar Salvioni

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, comments and feedback to questions@sakeonair.com. If you could take a moment to leave a review of the show on your regular listening platform, it would mean the world to us.   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.   More sake and shochu madness in a couple of weeks. Until then, kampai!   Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.

EP 20 – Sake Glassware Creation w/ Wolfgang Angyal of Riedel Japan (Pt. 2)

As promised, the Sake On Air team’s exploration into the sake-specific Daiginjo and Junmai glassware developed by Riedel continues with an interactive tasting led by Riedel Japan President and CEO, Wolfgang Angyal.   Clocking in at roughly 90 minutes, this is by far the longest episode of Sake On Air to-date. Why? There turned out to be just too much great food for thought and insightful commentary sprinkled throughout the entire experience.   Our apologies in advance – we recognize that a strictly audio format is not the most ideal medium for communicating the nuances of tasting and the associated olfactory experiences. Our recommendation is to grab a bottle of sake for yourself and settle in to join us on what was really a fantastic tasting journey.   Just for reference, the tasting employed Riedel’s Daiginjo and Junmai glassware, along with for the sake of comparison, a very standard ochoko (albeit a bit on the small side), as well as a Riesling glass also developed by Riedel.   While not a prerequisite, we recommend listening to Episode 19, where Wolfgang gives an excellent detailed explanation of the glassware that we’re testing in this episode, as well as outlines the process that went into bringing them into fruition.   In the tasting room this week along with Wolfgang are Sake On Air hosts Sebastien Lemoine, Rebekah Wilson-Lye, Chris Hughes, Marie Nagata and Justin Potts.   Please do let us know what you think about this week’s episode (and the show in general!) by taking a moment to rate and leave us a review on your podcast platform-of-choice. We can’t express enough how much it helps the show.   You can send your questions to questions@sakeonair.com, as well as follow us at @sakeonair on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.   For those of you that prefer YouTube, check back again very soon!   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 recording and editing by Frank Walter.   We’ll be back in two weeks. Until then, kampai!   Our theme, “Younger Today Than Tomorrow” is composed by forSomethingNew for Sake On Air.