Welcome to Issue #80 of Sake Industry News.
It's hard to believe we're already coming to the middle of the brewing season (I say as someone who hasn't lifted a finger to help brew anything). Many breweries will be well into "daiginjō season" and even their competition-grade sake in these extra colder months.
For now there's still plenty of shinshu and hatsu-shibori releases around, but it's just a matter of time before breweries start to roll out the rest of their portfolio. Lots to look forward to.
Quite a few stories in this issue relate to new innovations and unconventional approaches to sake. For an industry so steeped in (some might say "shackled to") tradition, innovation and outside-the-box thinking is imperative for the industry to grow and move forward. However, there will always be a certain amount of responsibility on both producers and consumers to "keep it real".
Whether it be whacky marketing techniques or sales angles, augmenting revenue and production with non-sake related products, or parlor trick products designed to showcase sake in some kind of "revolutionary" light unseen before, it is wise to be mindful of what is positive for the industry and what may just be red herrings distracting from what’s important.
For every innovation or marketing plan that puts sake on the road to a wider market, a misstep can put the cause a step back in terms of gaining trust and building understanding with potential sake consumers.
So let us keep an open mind and be contemplative of new changes and directions, but also remember that not every idea is a good one.
And now for the news...
*Chief Editor, Julian Houseman is stepping in for John Gauntner with comments and recording for this issue.
Takara Holdings Invests In Global Sake
Kyoto- In a move that will be sure to build more awareness of sake as a global brand, Takara Holdings, the holding company that oversees Japan's largest brewery, Takara Shuzō announced a JPY500 million (USD3.9mil) investment in sake startup, Wakaze.
Mutual back-scratching will see Takara Shuzō's US-based brewing facilities utilize Wakaze's innovative brewing techniques to better target the local market, while Wakaze hopes to expand its sales through Takara's well-established overseas sales networks.
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