Discovering Yamaguchi Sake: A Taster's Guide to Breweries, Culture, and Terrain

Jim Rion, Melinda Joe (Foreword by)

$19.95

Publication Date: February 21st, 2023

Publisher:

Stone Bridge Press

ISBN:

9781611720808

Pages:

228

Usually Ships in 1 to 5 Days

Description

This book is the first of its kind, a deep-dive into a single sake-producing region to highlight its delicious brews as well as the people, land, and culture behind them. Brewing in Yamaguchi -- in southern Honshu, Japan -- reflects the whole history of sake in Japan, from boom to bust to resurgence, and many of its brands, including the fabled Dassai, are now at izakaya and fine restaurants around the world. Expert Jim Rion takes us on a tour of all 23 Yamaguchi breweries to introduce the character of each and its brewmasters' best picks. Along the way he provides background on such topics as rice farmers, drinkware, brewing methods, and the controversy over sake "terroir" (does it exist?). An added bonus for travelers is a mini sightseeing guide to the region and its many delights. Illustrated with photographs and quick-reference sake labels.

About the Author

Jim Rion is a licensed international kikizakeshi (sake sommelier), certified sake professional, and freelance translator and writer working in the sake industry since 2018. He has lived in Yamaguchi Prefecture since 2004. He took his first sake brewery tour in 2008, and with it discovered a whole new world to explore. Melinda Joe is an American journalist based in Tokyo, Japan. Her food writing has appeared in publications such as Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Departures Magazine and has been translated into four languages. She writes about Japanese drinks in her column for The Japan Times, "Kanpai Culture." A certified sake and wine specialist, she is a panel chair for the sake division at London's International Wine Challenge.