Welcome to Issue #130 of SIN.
Despite plenty of snow in areas across Japan, we’re on our way into spring - according to the calendar at least. The spring sake releases are ever so slowly starting to appear and before you know it, all this frost will be behind us.
For the brewers, there’s still plenty of work to do. The season is far from over. And for us drinkers? Well, our work is never done. There’s always a cheeky isshōbin of sake somewhere that needs to be dealt with, but we’ll manage somehow.
And now for the news…
Wakaze Coming To Japan
Japan- Global brand, Wakaze is bringing its Californian-produced Summer Fall Classic Bubbles to the Japanese market.
The brewery began production of the sake last year and began exporting to Japan and other parts of Asia in January of this year.
In the USA low calorie hard seltzer products have gained serious traction with the market now valued at close to USD20 billion per year. In Japan, RTD (ready to drink) products are popular across a wide range of demographics, however the chu-hi (shochu or white liquor-based fruit drinks) has long ruled the market as the premier RTD.
Wakaze conducted market research in Japan and found that consumers were willing to try sake, but many found it “unapproachable,’” difficult to understand, had limited availability, and many considered the packaging sizes to be too big.
Summer Fall is made using a wine yeast which gives the sparkling sake aromas of pear, citrus and raspberry. No lactic acid is added in the production process as natural acidity is achieved through the use of white kōji.
Summer Fall is packaged in 250ml cans and is now available at selected retailers across Tokyo, with other distribution set to widen soon.
Source - Ameba
JG: The people behind Wakaze are incredibly effective at making things happen. I mean, a fruit flavored, canned, bubbly sake being exported to Japan from the US? I would never have thought this could be possible. Of course, though, we need to wait a year or so to see how it is embraced. If nothing else, I respect the entrepreneurial spirit.
Does Strong Make it Wrong?
Niigata- A recent article in the Japanese press shone a light on the matter of alcohol content in sake.
Tamagawa Shuzō in Uonoma City in Niigata Prefecture has been producing Echigo Samurai since 2000 when Tamagawa Shuzō CEO Hayato Kazama came up with the concept as a counter to the image of Niigata sake as light and dry (tanrei karakuchi), the style of sake that launched Niigata to the forefront of the sake market in the nineties.
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