Sake On Air
Episodes
A Message from Sake On Air
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Back in October of 2018 when we released the very first episode of Sake On Air, none of us had recorded or produced a podcast before, and there was no...
A Brewer’s Evolution with Mehdi Medhaffar
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve welcomed more than an a few non-Japanese kurabito to the show in the past that have made sake brewing here in Japan their chosen path for a da...
Awamori with Maurice Dudley
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been way too long since we’ve spent an entire episode dialing straight into the world of awamori. That’s why we’re thrilled that your hos...
Where Beer & Sake Collide
23 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We finally have a great excuse to discuss beer this week.Despite a long history of (ongoing) misrepresentation as “rice wine” and the sake industr...
Restoring Tradition: Kame Brewing with Yucho Shuzo
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 1 of this special two-part series visiting the producers reviving the lost art of kamejikomi, we spoke with Ken Kojima of Kojima Sohonten, mak...
Restoring Tradition: Kame Brewing with Kojima Sohonten
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Back in Episode 51 we explored the hard work being invested in restoring kioke, the large-scale traditional wooden tanks that transformed sake brewing...
Kubota: Building and Sustaining an Iconic Label
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week we focused our energy on examining the Niigata region as a whole. This week we’re once again joined by our same guests, Ms. Kaoru Ito and ...
Examining Niigata Sake
22 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There’s really no such thing as an “inferior” region for sake production in Japan. A particular region may boast more breweries, higher producti...
Ginjo: Beneath the Surface
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ginjo is king.Or at least, that’s kind of been a mantra for several generations of more than a few sake lovers, makers, and advocates. Looking at th...
Our 2022 Predictions
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Another year, another chance to set ourselves up for failure with a series of wild predictions!This year the team has independently put together their...
Digital Kokushu Museum
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This past autumn, something really special came into being that all of our sake and shochu-loving listeners ought to appreciate.A project that has bee...
Okawari: Water, Food, and Terroir
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of the interview material from our episodes here at Sake on Air winds up on the cutting room floor, but some of it is just too good to let go to...
Holiday Drinks
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Although this particular holiday season may prove to be somewhat of an exception for some – much in the way that many of us assumed 2020 to be an ex...
Future of Sake with Les Larmes du Levant & Kanpai London
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Seeing as how we haven’t featured any of our esteemed sake brewing revolutionist friends on the European continent recently, we thought it was about...
Three-year Anniversary Special
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On October 18th, way back in the distant past that was 2018, we released the first official episode of Sake On Air. Exactly three years to the day, we...
Interview with Gautier Roussille
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Back in Episode 65 during our discussion with the president of Sohomare, Mr. Jun Kono, another interesting name popped; that of Gautier Roussille.An a...
Sake Brewing School at Gakkogura
24 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Along with a general interest in sake expanding globally, the number of homebrewers curious to try their hand at sake making and professional brewers ...
Listener Questions: August 2021 Edition
11 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week at Sake On Air we tackle a wide range of sake and shochu-specific topics based upon questions submitted by you, the listeners!Even though we...
Sparkling Sake Interviews: Ichinokura & Shichiken
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing this month’s series examining the world of sparkling sake, this week we bring you a pair of interviews with sake makers that have been in...
Deconstructing Sparkling Sake
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Of all the requests that we get for various show topics, an episode focusing on “Sparkling Sake” is probably one, if not the most requested topic ...
Rakugo Storytelling (and Sake) with Katsura Sunshine
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we have a rather special story to tell, as we’re joined by Katsura Sunshine, the second non-Japanese master Rakugo-ka in the history of th...
Sohomare Sake With Brewery President Jun Kono
09 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been way overdue for an episode highlighting one of Japan’s many inspiring sake breweries. When your hosts Sebastien Lemoine and John Gauntn...
Serving Up Shochu
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been relatively quiet on the shochu front in recent months, but we’re looking to remedy that this week by serving up an episode that should ...
North American Sake Rice & Agriculture with Isbell Farms Part 2
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we continue our conversation with the multi-generation family of rice (and sake rice!) farmers at Isbell Farms in the heart of Arkansas. For...
North American Sake Rice & Agriculture with Isbell Farms Part 1
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to producing sake outside of Japan, still one of the most significant hurdles to crafting the sake of a brew-master’s dreams is access...
Matured Sake, Aged Sake
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Despite a rich and storied history spanning millennia, in certain terms, sake has yet to unequivocally prove its ability to stand the test of time.If ...
Okawari: U.S. Love of Nigori with “The Sake Ninja”
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In an ideal world we’d bring you listeners a brand-new episode each and every week. While we can’t see that happening in the immediate future, in ...
The Murky Waters of Nigori Sake
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a fascinating schism that’s emerged between the domestic and international markets’ relationship with nigori-style sake over that past f...
Sake Future Summit 2020 Revisited (Part 2)
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Just a few episodes back we decided to revisit some of the highlights from Sake Future Summit 2020. In preparing for and editing that episode there wa...
Water, Wood, and Wild Things (and Sake!) with Hannah Kirshner
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the past we’ve hosted episodes with a handful of non-Japanese individuals that have dedicated themselves to the work and lifestyle that comes alo...
Understanding Umeshu with Todd Van Horne
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Umeshu might be one of the most universally pleasing drink categories on the planet. Its characteristic sweet and spunky qualities can be served up an...
Sake Future Summit 2020 Revisited (Part 1)
16 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Since hosting Sake Future Summit 2020 back at the end of November, we’ve since gone and spliced up that nearly 30 hours of dialogue and nearly as ma...
Fushimi Sake with Ayuko Yamaguchi
31 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone who has heard of a little country by the name of “Japan” has probably heard of “Kyoto”. Anyone who has sat through a formal sake educat...
Amazake with Shoko Baba of Hakkaisan
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How many of our listeners are familiar with amazake? Despite having clear progenitor qualities to this show’s favorite beverage, this non-alcoholic,...
Kura Master with Xavier Thuizat
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Any of our listeners that tuned into Sake Future Summit 2020 will likely already be familiar with the brilliant work of this week’s guest, Hotel de ...
Pottery and Sake with Robert Yellin
21 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An exploration into the various types of drinking vessels and related wares that have for centuries shaped the service and enjoyment of sake is one of...
Kioke, Shoyu, Sake, and Fermentation
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last January Sebastien and Justin travelled to Shodoshima, the island of kioke, shoyu, and olives, located off the coast of Kagawa Prefecture of Shiko...
Two-year Anniversary Special (Live)
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thank you. Two years ago Sebastien, Big Chris, Justin, John and Little Chris huddled around some microphones after-hours at the Japan Sake & Shochu...
Kurabito Life
30 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The role of the “kurabito” – one who works in a sake brewery – is incredibly varied. While the traditional image is that of a team of brewers ...
Hannyatou: Chef Soma & Russell King
29 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Drink Sake. Stay Soba. It’s this simple mantra that has made Seattle’s Hannyatou and its neighboring soba destination Kamonegi almost overnight...
The SG Shochu with Joshin Atone
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Lately it feels as though we’re teetering on the verge of shochu’s day in the limelight. Japan’s indigenous spirit with about as much market and...
The State of Sake Amidst COVID 19: Part 2
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks for tuning in to Part 2 of our special focusing on the current impact of COVID-19 on the sake and shochu industries. If you haven’t yet liste...
The State of Sake Amidst COVID 19: Part 1
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re bringing you a double episode exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the sake industry here in Japan, and how that impact is beginning...
Natsuzake is Summer Sake
14 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
While this summer has certainly been a lot of things for many of our listeners, we hope that one thing which has been a defining mainstay throughout t...
Shochu Talk: 1st Edition
21 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode is precisely what you’d assume it to be: the crew talking shochu.It had been a bit too long since we’d last done a real shoc...
Tahoma Fuji Sake with Andrew Neyens
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Although we’re all still grounded here in Japan, this week we’re getting off the island for a visit to the great Pacific Northwest to chat with An...
Sake’s Missing Link with Pernod Ricard’s Yann Soenen
31 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
With LINK, Pernod Ricard made their first foray into the world of sake. Bringing together the craftmanship and nuance of Chivas Regal with the pioneer...
Know Your Hosts: Rebekah Wilson-Lye & John Gauntner
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Here it is! The final installment of our “Know Your Hosts” series, introducing our listeners to the minds and motivations behind Sake on Air.For t...
Dojima Sake with Tony Mitchell
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Like most all of our listeners, we’re keeping rather close to home these days. The nature of things makes it a bit challenging for the team to gathe...
Hot Sake (Kanzake) 101
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re tackling arguably one of the most misunderstood segments of the sake world:Kanzake, often simply referred to as, Hot Sake.For a comp...
Awamori 101
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To all of our listeners: thank you for your patience.As much as we go out of our way to include awamori as part of the broader shochu conversation, de...
Building a Brewery Down Under with Zenkuro & Melbourne Sake (Part 2)
29 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As promised, we’re coming right back with Part 2 of our exploration into what goes into paving the way for a brand new sake brewery outside of Japan...
Building Breweries Down Under with Zenkuro & Melbourne Sake (Part 1)
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It now feels like eons ago when, only just last month, the global sake community seemed to have all flocked to Japan for the final days of the winter ...
Know Your Hosts: Marie Nagata & Justin Potts
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing with our Meet Your Hosts series, this week we bring you interviews with another pair from the team here at Sake On Air. First up we hav...
Tengu Sake with Oliver Hilton-Johnson
25 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we zone in on sake in the U.K. as we welcome the founder and owner of Tengu Sake, Oliver Hilton Johnson to the show. Oliver’s carefully...
Know Your Hosts: Shuso Imada & Chris Hughes
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week it’s time once again to take a moment to get to know the team here at Sake On Air. We first aired one of these episodes back in October (E...
Aroma & Sake
31 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is the scent of sake? For our final episode of 2019, Chris Hughes, Rebekah Wilson-Lye, and Sebastie Lemoine gather to discuss the natu...
Celebrating 1 Year of Sake On Air
15 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been doing this for an entire year (and then some) already! To commemorate we decided to get the entire cast together (minus John, sadly, who ...
Shochu & Spirits with Philip Duff
01 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It was right around this very same time last year that we sat down with a whole slew of splendid bartenders and mixologists to discuss shochu followin...
Sake in Portland with Marcus Pakiser & Midori Nakazawa
12 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sake On Air has taken the show on the road! Well, sort of. The gang isn’t all here, but Justin recently spent a bit of time in the Pacific Northw...
Know Your Hosts: Christopher Pellegrini & Sebastien Lemoine
26 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past year of doing Sake On Air, believe it or not, one of the most highly requested show topics that we get from our listeners has been for u...
Guide to Japanese Drinks w/ Stephen Lyman
04 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode is especially timely, as Justin managed to squeeze in an interview with Stephen Lyaman to coincide with the launch of his brand ...
Brewing in Japan w/ Cody Brailsford
20 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Brailsford is a rather rare breed. Now fuku-toji (assistant head brewer) as of this recording, at Watanabe Sake Brewery, makers of Hourai bra...
Zaku Interview w/ President Shinichiro Shimizu
07 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode is exactly what the title says: an interview with Shinichiro Shimizu, the president of Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten, better known as...
Koji Basics
23 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When you start talking sake (or shochu), you don’t get too far in before finding that you need to address koji. That’s what Justin, (big) Chris an...
Rice Types
08 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week John Gauntner takes over as master of ceremonies, as Rebekah Wilson-Lye, Chris Hughes and Justin Potts combine forces to help flesh o...
Sake in Spain w/ Pablo Alomar Salvioni
24 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The rise in sake’s presence at notable restaurants and gastronomic celebrations across the globe in recent years is in no small part due to the indi...
Sake Glassware Creation w/ Wolfgang Angyal of Riedel Japan (Pt. 2)
13 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As promised, the Sake On Air team’s exploration into the sake-specific Daiginjo and Junmai glassware developed by Riedel continues with an interacti...
Sake Glassware Creation w/ Wolfgang Angyal of Riedel Japan (Pt. 1)
08 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Sake On Air team recently gathered at the Japan offices of Riedel, renowned Austrian wine varietal-specific glassware makers, to meet with Japan’...
Talking Terroir
14 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A topic of endless discussion and debate, this week Chris Hughes, Sebastien Lemoine, Marie Nagata and Christopher Pellegrini are joined by Eli Nygren,...
The Sake & Food Relationship Pt. 1
02 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week Chris Hughes takes the reigns as we set our sights on what feels to be an ever-moving target: the complex relationship between sake and food...
Shochu with Maya Aley and Sake with Jamie Graves
17 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back this week with a boozy double-interview featuring one shochu meister and one sake maven. In the first half of this week’s episode of...
Live with Andre Bishop and William Stuart
27 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
EP 15 – Live with Andre Bishop and William Stuart In March we did four shows, all recorded live at the Aoyama Sake Flea, and who should we bump int...
Discovering Shochu with Stephen Lyman
12 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sake is out this week and Shochu is in! Christopher Pellegrini takes the hotseat to interview his partner in crime, Stephen Lyman. Stephen Lyman ...
Museum of Sake with Natsuki Kikuya / Return of Keith Norum
29 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been telling you that it was coming (since last autumn!) and this week we finally delivered. We’re joined this week by none other than Natsu...
Masumi Sake with Keith Norum
22 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s show title tells you all you need to know. For those of you unacquainted with Masumi Sake, the brilliant Nagano-based craft of Miyasaka ...
Junmai & Aruten
08 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We decided that it was about time we sat down and hashed it out over something that is becoming an increasingly divisive topic in the sake world: to a...
Brooklyn Kura with Brian Polen
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to realize a dream of American craft sake? And even more specifically, Brooklyn craft sake? This week Chris Hughes and Justin P...
Sake 101: Unraveling the Basics
14 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve got a new twist on an old formula this week. In the interest of fairness, after having done a Shochu 101 episode, we thought it only made...
Sake Year in Review: 2018 Edition
25 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A bit of a small miracle, we managed to get the entire Sake On Air entourage in the same room at the same time. A first for the show, we have John, Se...
Searching for Sake: Sake Tourism in Japan (Pt. 1)
09 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Japan has absolutely exploded as a food and dining destination, but how is it as a sake destination? Sure there’s more than enough incredible sake t...
Shochu 101
27 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It was time to lay the groundwork for our up-and-coming explorations into the worlds of shochu and awamori. Welcome to Shochu 101 – class is in sess...
Shochu Mixology and Sake in Paris
13 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In recent weeks we’ve had the opportunity to sit down with some exciting guests for special events and interviews, and this week is no different. F...
What Tea & Sake Share; Future of Sake w/ Masumi & WAKAZE [LIVE @ Aoyama Sake Flea]
29 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As promised, we’re back again for two straight weeks of live interviews straight from Aoyama Sake Flea, the bi-annual celebration of sake and craft ...
Farmers Markets & Bettering Our Food with Sake w/ Nancy Singleton Hachisu [LIVE @ Aoyama Sake Flea]
22 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Over the next couple weeks (yes, we’ll be going weekly for a short stint!) we’ll deviate a bit from our standard format, but that’s because we h...
State of the Industry
08 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
EP 2 – State of the Industry: Japan How in the world did we get here? Where exactly are we? Where is all this headed? These are the themes that Ch...
The Cast of Characters
18 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
And characters they are indeed! We’re giving ourselves one more “warm-up run” before we really dig in, so we thought it only made sense to round...
Sneak Peek
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 0 – Sneak Peek Welcome! You’ve just stumbled upon a “sneak peek” at the new Sake On Air podcast, what is soon to be a bi-week...