Welcome!

Jim and Andy journey back to the snow country of Niigata to focus on a brewery that has helped shape modern sake tastes: Ishimoto Shuzo, makers of Koshi no Kanbai. From its humble origins as a small producer for the local market to the flagbearers of the jizake and tanrei karakuchi sake booms, your intrepid enthusiasts dig deep into how this sake became a nationwide staple. Settle in and warm up your sake because it’s time for some Niigata nectar. Kampai!Vocab:Ajigin　味吟 – Sake brewed to ginjō specifications and methods but with an emphasis on flavor rather than aroma.Hanagin　ハナ吟 – Sake brewed to ginjō specifications and methods with an emphasis on aroma rather than flavor.Hashirajōchu　柱焼酎  – Shōchu distilled from refermented sake lees or even seishu used in the brewing process instead of high-purity brewer’s alcohol. A traditional aruten method dating back to the Edo Period.Recommendations:Andy – Tokujoshu Kimoto-kei Hashirajochu ShikomiJim – Futsushu White LabelDon’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive Also, check out Andy’s websites at: https://www.originsake.com/ and https://www.originsaketours.comFind Jim at his website http://www.JimRion.com, where he mostly doesn’t talk about sake at all.Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist – Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notionsUnder a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-laneMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg