The Sake Handbook: All the information you need to become a Sake Expert!
John Gauntner
Language: English
Pages: 248
ISBN: 0804834253
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
The Sake Handbook is the foremost guide to the history, brewing, and distinctive flavors of sake.
Just what are jizake, namazake and ginjoshu? The Sake Handbook answers all these questions and many more about sake wine, and will help you enjoy Japan's national beverage in style.
Author John Gauntner is recognized as the world's leading non-Japanese sake expert. A longtime Japan resident, he is well known among sake brewers and others within the sake industry. He wrote the Nihonshu Column in the Japan Times for many years before writing a weekly column on sake in Japanese for the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's and the world's most widely distributed Japanese newspaper. In 2006, John received the Sake Samurai award. He has published five books on sake including Sake Confidential
This sake book features:
- This new edition has been completely revised and updated
- Gives you all the information you need in an handy, portable format
- Offers a detailed explanation of the sake brewing process
- Reviews over a hundred sake brands, with illustrations of their labels for easy identification
- Profiles over 50 Japanese izakaya or pub-style restaurants in Tokyo and the surrounding environs
- Lists specialty shops in Japan where you can purchase hard–to–find Japanese wine brands
- Lists specialty retailers in the United States and elsewhere
The Wet and the Dry: A Drinker's Journey
The Hour: A Cocktail Manifesto
Edible Cocktails: From Garden to Glass--Seasonal Cocktails with a Fresh Twist
economically viable.) But today most better saké on the market is comprised of complex flavors and aromas that would be bludgeoned into nonexistence if heated. You would not be able to taste or smell precisely the things the brewer worked so hard to create. So personal preferences notwithstanding, most fine saké is better slightly chilled. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and there are some premium saké that are wonderful when gently warmed. In fact, some old-timers will say that a
by higher serving temperatures. OTHER OFFERINGS: This saké is more subdued than some of its higher-priced Kudoki Jōzu daiginjō siblings, of which there are several, all highly recommended. Eikō Fuji is a fresh, no-nonsense saké with an unmistakable distinction. Clean is a word that describes it quite well. The nose is not very pronounced at all; it’s quite faint in fact. But the proof is in the flavor. It does not have an excessive amount of body or mouth feel, yet there is a solidness and
conveyor belt. This eliminates the need for brewers to steam numerous small batches on a daily basis. There are also other variations, like rice liquefiers, although these are rarely used in the production of premium saké. After the rice has been steamed, it is cooled by spreading it out on large pieces of cloth in the cool kura air, or by running it through a machine that breaks up the clumps and cools it down quickly. Kōji Production (Seikiku, or Kōji-zukuri) Kōji production is the heart of
1-15-12 Nishi Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 03-3342-0339 Open 4PM–12AM Closed Sun Kanda Komachi Small, simple, homey saké pub in the center of the businessman’s drinking headquarters of Tokyo. Although English will not get you very far, initial ordering from the diverse menu of saké and food is simplified by the availability of the “kiki-zake set,” a 3-saké sampler, and the “itamae special,” a 3-item nibbler. Usually packed, so arrive early. 2-33-2 Uchi Kanda Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
menu, so you must be able to recognize what you want and pick it out from the shelf. 3-31-10 Nishi Ogi Kita Suginami-ku, Tokyo 03-3395-9667 Open 5:30PM–12AM Closed Wed Yorozuya Matsukaze A dark and rustic shop that offers about 20–25 solid saké. The theme of the place is the folklore of the Hida Takayama region in Gifu Prefecture. The food is just the style you’d expect based on the rustic feeling of the place, and compliments the saké well. 1-24-5 Nishi Ikebukuro Toshima-ku, Tokyo