True Stories – Chris Mines the Newsletter Archives (Cowboy Yamahai)

Ever since I started working here at True Sake, I've become fascinated with what I like to call "origin stories". I mean, this is the way I am with all my hobbies really. I became obsessed with a hobby, and want to learn more. Always a student of the game.

As I was mining the True Sake archives, I came across this gem:
https://www.truesake.com/blogs/august-2015/sake-way-sake-people-helping-sake-people

Wow, incredible. This story really paints a picture. Where were you during the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami? I could only imagine being a foreigner visiting Japan during this time. The word "surreal" sounds like an understatement. Could you imagine that a dinner with a toji during this time could really get the ball rolling on one of the most unique and amazing Yamahai Junmai Ginjo Genshu? I've sold plenty of Cowboy Yamahai in my day, but I never knew that The Boss had a hand in helping bring this in. Just even the word "cowboy", the way it was used in context, is so intriguing. I could totally imagine Beau-san emphatically telling Shiokawa-san how he wanted to smuggle in his brew illegally to stick it to "The Man" just so people could drink his amazing brew.

Also, I love how Shiokawa-san emerged from this dinner, no longer being shy about his sake, and diving head-first into the overseas market. Sometimes you just need a confidence boost that your product is great enough to do well outside of Japan, and that night Shiokawa-san got that boost. Kind of crazy to find out that without that meeting of the minds between the boss Beau-san and Shiokawa-san, we may have never gotten the chance to try Cowboy Yamahai here in the United States. So if you ever come across that bottle at a restaurant, or another retail shop, or online shop, just know that True Sake had a hand in bringing that bottle in for ya.

I look forward to mining the next "origin story". Till next time!

-Chris