Welcome to issue #74 of SIN.
Exciting times ahead as Japan has finally opened its borders to tourists! It'll be more than just the sake industry that will be happy to see some of those tourist dollars roll in.
For those that are making the trip here, rest assured, there's plenty of hiyaoroshi to go around, and if you wait another few weeks you will probably be seeing the first shiboritate and new sake for the season hitting the shelves. What a time to be alive!
And now here's the news..
The Red, White and Dassai Blue
New York- The Sake Brewers Association of North America have announced the induction of its latest member, Dassai USA.
Asahi Shuzō, the producer of Dassai, is in the final stages of constructing its brewing facility near the Culinary Institute of America in New York state.
The Sake Brewers Association board chairman, Andrew Centofante said of Dassai’s inclusion,"We could not be more thrilled to have DASSAI USA join the Association. We've all been eagerly awaiting the opening of DASSAI USA, which will be a dynamic new presence on the North American sake scene. Their membership in the Association signals a real commitment to our industry and the community of sake producers across the continent."
DASSAI USA's decision to join the association comes after Asahi Shuzō, led by President Kazuhiro Sakurai, took part in SBANA’s first ever Sake Stakeholders Summit, held last month. The summit was an opportunity for sake industry leaders to discuss the future direction of the industry in North America. One of the key findings raised at the Summit was the idea that North American and Japanese producers should work together to build a more robust global sake market.
Dassai USA’s decision to join the SBANA could well signify the beginning of closer ties for the American and Japanese sake industries.
JG: This is h-u-g-e for the fledgeling North American craft sake industry. I was at the Sake Stakeholders Summit last month, and was quite impressed with the serious and business-like mindset of the producers. I have high(er) expectations for sake in North America, and the presence of Asahi Shuzo will surely hasten the movement.
旭酒造 , 獺祭
Revived Brewery Ready For Next Step
Niigata- There have been many stories of family members returning to the family brewery and turning a failing business around. In recent years there have also been a few outside businesses and enterprises stepping in to bail out embattled breweries. However, scenarios in which the brewery reviver is an outside individual have been rare.
Senichi Kato had no connection to the sake industry when he moved to Switzerland as an exchange student at the age of 20, however his experience abroad sparked an interest in his home country's indigenous beverage. Upon his return to Japan, Kato began learning about sake, harboring a desire to one day brew his own sake. Once he realized the near impossibility of obtaining a brewing license, Kato began investigating the possibility of purchasing a license from a dormant or struggling brewery. Eventually this led to his encounter with Tenryōhai Shuzō, a run-down brewery located on Sado Island and on the verge of closing permanently.
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