Cody Brailsford is a rather rare breed. Now fuku-toji (assistant head brewer) as of this recording, at Watanabe Sake Brewery, makers of Hourai brand sake in the small countryside town of Hida Furukawa in Gifu Prefecture, Cody has been toiling away in the brewery for well over a decade. As more sake breweries open across the globe, and as breweries…

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…

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…

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…