Make Me Smart about the business of sake
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What cultural significance do cherry blossoms hold in Japan?
Hello, everyone. I'm Kimberly Adams. Welcome back to Make Me Smart, where none of us is as smart as all of us. Thank you for joining us, whether you're watching on the YouTube live stream or listening later on the podcast. This is Economics on Tap, our weekly happy hour episode. And today's edition is extra special because it's my annual cherry blossom party. And those of you watching on the live stream, We'll see that I'm surrounded by cherry blossoms. It is peak bloom here in D.C., one of my favorite times of year. And the National Cherry Blossom Festival is going on here.
How is sake related to the cherry blossom festival?
And it's a celebration of the beautiful trees, of course, but it's also a celebration of Japanese culture. So today we are going to talk about sake, Japan's national drink. And here to talk with me about the business of sake is Reiko Harai, founder of D.C. 's Sake Company. Welcome to the show, Reiko. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. I'm so happy to have you. And for our drinks today, we do have something special lined up. Reiko is going to walk me through a sake tasting. But first, let's see what everybody is drinking in the chat. Oh, someone here, Edward says he lived in Japan and for three years in high school and misses the country and its people so much. QNXT is having sake also. Sarah is having hibiscus tea.
Let's see. What else? Jen is having a strawberry margarita. We have some other folks having water. Red Wine Day for David. Jay Perringer is having, well, it says for heaven's sake.
What insights does Reiko Hirai provide about the sake industry?
I thought it was sake.
Okay.
But Margie is having Junmai sake on ice.
Maybe Junmai sake.
Yeah, it should have been sake, for heaven's sake. But Margie brought up Junmai sake, which is one of these terms that I'm hoping you'll help us understand a little bit better. But first, tell us about DC sake and what you do.
Yeah, thank you so much. So DC Sake is an online shop that specializes in alcohol beverages from Japan. So we carry sake, of course, but also another Japanese spirit called shochu and also whiskey, Japanese whiskey, Japanese sake. Vodka, Japanese rum, Japanese gin. So all the booze that you want, we carry them.
That's amazing. So like I said, the National Cherry Blossom Festival here in D.C. is supposed to be also a celebration of Japanese culture.
What are the different types of sake and their characteristics?
Can you talk about the relationships, the relationship between sake in particular and cherry blossoms in Japan?
This is a very, very different height connection there uh so so we have a culture called hanami in japan uh so literally it means a flower viewing so you know how the cherry blossom only blooms and like probably in the peak bloom maybe a week sometimes less yeah it depends on the weather yes yeah so In Japan, when the cherry blossoms are in the full bloom, everybody drop that work that you're doing, get out and enjoy the cherry blossom view. But we do it under the cherry tree, a picnic style. So... So we have like friends, family, you know, gather under the cherry tree and it is legal to drink under the cherry tree.
Well, since the cherries trees are in peak bloom here in D.C., I think we should drink under the cherry trees. Let's try some sakes. What did you suggest for us?
Yes. So today I have two sakes. One from Japan and one from right here in United States. So I'm going to have open first from this one. Yes, I have it.
How does sake production differ in the United States compared to Japan?
I ordered it from DC Sake. Arigato, arigato. So this one is from Dewazakura Brewery. It's in Yamagata Prefecture, Upper North. So it's called Ginjo Sake Oka. And what that means is, well, should we open it first? Yes. Okay. So it's a nice sound here. I love this sound.
What impact have tariffs had on the sake business?
So don't be afraid to pour into your wine glass. I have a plastic cup today. That's okay. There's no wrong there. But for the aromatic sake, I like to enjoy it in a wine glass or anything that shows the color of the wine. The liquid sake and also the aroma. I love the cherry blossom on it.
Yes, I have cherry blossoms on my cup. So tell me a little bit about the sake and what we're smelling.
So as you can see, as you can enjoy, like you have a lot of like a cotton candy, like a white flower type of very kind of like a bubble gum almost kind of aroma.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What cultural significance do cherry blossoms hold in Japan?
0:06–0:40
2
How is sake related to the cherry blossom festival?
0:40–1:46
3
What insights does Reiko Hirai provide about the sake industry?
1:46–2:46
4
What are the different types of sake and their characteristics?
2:46–4:18
5
How does sake production differ in the United States compared to Japan?
4:18–4:54
6
What impact have tariffs had on the sake business?
4:54–6:47
7
How can one properly enjoy and serve sake?
6:47–8:36
8
What events and resources are available for learning more about sake?
8:36–26:57