Oh, and in case you're reading this over the holiday and are inspired to head on over post-haste, we're open as usual on Sunday and also we're open on the 3rd and 4th.

In this issue:

• The Name Shell Game -- How Sakes are Named
• Bottle Rockets & Bar-B-Q - July Is For The Grill!
• A Sake Moment -- It's Not All About The Sake!
• True Sake In The News -- SF Magazine, ABC TV
• New Store Arrivals -- Summer Nama-sakes
• Special Events -- July 19th The Blind Tasting!
• Summary of the "Genshu -- Full Strength Tasting"
• "Ask Beau" -- "What are you afraid of in the sake world?"
• The SECRET WORD

What do you think is the #1 question or statement that is uttered at True Sake on a daily basis by customers walking through the door? If you said, "May I have change for the parking meter" you'd be close. Actually the most used sentence each and every day is "I know nothing about sake," which in most cases is not true at all. People have some sense, they just feel compelled to get it out there that their knowledge is not the great. But in fact, more often then not they do know a good deal about sake, and their obliviousness is just a front.

Nevertheless the #1 sentence once uttered is usually followed by the #2 most stated exclamation by customers as they walk through the store. This sentence is always more forthright and said with much more harrumph, and goes something like this, "The only problem is that I can never remember the names." Some customers swear at this point, others frown, and still others throw their hands up in surrender. I could make a video of these reactions that would make good money on the Internet.

But the point is not lost on us. The names of sakes are indeed a confusing and frustrating experience that is troublesome on so many levels. First off there is the obvious language barrier in naming a sake. The name simply does not translate well. There are not too many mystical flying horse-like dragons in the West that have a meaning of power and good fortune, so that name cannot really be used. Unless you like a Junmai Ginjo to be called "The Mystical Horse-Like Dragon Of Good Fortune," a far better name than many of the made up names, which is yet another level of frustration.

Most exporter/importers will change a name of a sake to give it a more marketable name, plain and simple. Thus you get a lot of what Japanese guys think American's would like in a name for a sake. They feel as if they have done their research and can predict how well a sake will sell if the name is "street friendly." This gets taken to yet another level of confusion when restaurants and particularly bars change the name again to make it more hip or potent! I could give specific examples of all of these types of "manipulations," but I would catch some serious guff. (Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!)

Then there is another layer of confusion on the Japan side of things. Breweries will name their sake after the brewery. Thus you get one name for several different sakes. Huh? Basically the brewery will call it's brews the kura's name and then attach the "category." But even more confusing is that this same brewery will also specifically name certain sakes. Huh? Wait! It gets more jumbled. Roughly 9 out of 10 times the brewery's name is not the family's names, which is how the brewery is referred to. Gulp? For example there is a brewery in Nagano that we all know and True Sake sells 6 of their creations. Masumi is the "brand name" of this brewery that is owned by the Miyasaka family. But it is referred to as Miyasaka-Shuzo, which means the brewery owned by the Miyasaka family. So do you call it Miyasaka's sake or Masumi's sake? In this case, the brand name takes over as they push pretty hard to get that name out there.

Now in terms of those six brews that we sell, each and every one of them has a name that is given to that specific product. For example Masumi "Arabashiri," which is a style of sake called Nama Junmai Ginjo Genshu. Or try Masumi "Okuden Kantsukuri", which is not a style or category name, but rather a marketing name that means the brew was made in the wintertime, which historically is the best time to make sake, thus it is a perception name.

Now here is where it gets interesting. The importers of these sakes do their best to translate for effectiveness. In the case if Masumi "Arabashiri" they call this sake "First Run," which is a literal translation. This style of sake is the result of being the first juice that trickles out before serious pressing has occurred. They are almost a free run form of sake that gets bottled just as is (well there are several cosmetic stages that occur, but it is supposed to be perceived as raw). Thus the name "First Run" is quite literal and quite accurate. Now in the case of the "Okuden Kantsukuri" the literal translation would get lost on Westerners, because most folks do not know about the perceived notion that sake brewed in the winter is better. Therefore the importers with the consent of the brewers selected a name that they felt best represented that sake in a global capacity and bequeathed the name "Mirror of Truth," which so happens to be the nickname for Masumi. Huh?

So on the far end of the world -- the world of retail -- we get customers who come in asking for sakes by several different names. It is as confusing to us as it is to you in this regard, because we could get three different people asking for the same sake using three different names. They try to remember the Japanese name or the translated name (I call this the "Street" name) and in the process they forget the name all together. There is nothing cooler than people walking in with scraps of paper with the names of the brews written on them with wet drunken scrawl. That is the surest way of getting back into the sake that spoke to you. So don't be afraid to have your server write the name down, or do the more modern equivalent and use your damn cell phone as a camera!

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Yes the season has come to fire up the ol'grill with coals, gas, or old style with real old-fashioned wood (wood comes from trees!). Point being the summer is for grilling and sake is the best for grillin'and chillin.' I will look to the past -- as in last year's Newsletter -- to drop some pointers your way, but fear not when the coals are hot and the sake is cool anything is possible. God Bless America (and Japan)!

Many of you know about Bob Kantor's place called Memphis Minis on Haight Street in SF, where sake comes face to face with the biggest badass rack of ribs in town. Bob swears that sake and Bar-B-Q dance the forbidden dance and I most certainly agree. But the trick is matching the sake to the type of charred substance. Meaning it takes a certain kind of sake to pair well with your holiday-grilled excellence. Here are some basic tips to help you look like a rock-star when you show up to a BYOB(S) Bar-B-Q party:

• If you are grilling meats with lots of sauce stay with a sake that has lots of fortitude. Think about acidity levels and try to pair the meats to sakes that have higher acidity identities. For example think about matching your Bar-B-Q'd meats with Nama "unpasteurized" sakes that are Genshu "undiluted." Or look for Yamahai or Kimoto (old-style sakes ). If all else fails I always like to use very dry Junmai sakes with tons of grain and smoky characteristics. Deep rich sakes with more earth tones such as soil, leaves, mushroom, and wood elements tend to dance better than a fruity sake. Fruity sakes get smothered with big sauce items!
• If you are grilling fish or light fowl on the coals then I say look for bigger Ginjo sakes that have pronounced layers and are balanced well. I prefer sakes with more mouth feel or gooeyness if you will. Plump sakes with higher amino acidity that really fill the recesses of your mouth with flavor. I think fruit-forward sakes work great with grilled fish and chicken that have a hint of salt.
• If you like your veggies tossed to hell's fires then I say get goofy and try a Nigori (unfiltered) sake. These sakes tend to be very fruit forward and straight-talkers and as such they bring out the sweetness in veggies on the grill. I prefer Nigoris with a hint of coconut to make the veggies feel more like a Thai grilled concoction.
• If the weenie is in the works I say pair that Hot Dog with a creamy Junmai that is silky as all-get-out. A silky Junmai along the lines of a Nishinoseki that has an almost buttery-popcorn tonality that pulls well with a bun or bread.
• Lastly, the final East meets West pairing is the combination of hamburgers and sake. Truly one of haute cuisine's final frontiers. The best part about a burger is a "juicy burger" and it is those juices that go so well with sake. Think oils in your mouth, and then think about fatter and more viscous sakes that coat your palate. The more sake that sticks to the inside of your mouth, the more juicy flavors will last up front. And of course the big three - ketchup, mustard and mayo - will be along for the ride, and it takes a full- bodied and deep sake to capture all of these essences. My current favorite flavor match in this regard is Kasumi Tsuru's Nama Genshu Honjozo that just flat out rocks with mustard. Perhaps it is the vinegar with the Nama-ness or it's the twang with the Genshu-ness, whatever it is it is good.

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I have been encouraged to comment on occasion about restaurants that I visit with the express purpose of checking out their "sake game." Sometimes these visits are ummmm well how do I put it? Not worth it! (But I will never write about those encounters.) And other times I am greatly rewarded by chefs and owners who take great care in marrying their sakes to their cuisine. So the "Sake Moment" section will feature sake experiences that are worth checking out or at the very least hearing about.

My most recent "Sake Moment" found me crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on one of those "Hey wait! There is sun and fog and fog and fog and oh there is the sun " sort of early evenings at the beginning of summer. My car took me into Sausalito where I visited my good friend Yoshi Tome of "Sushi Ran" fame. This is one of the restaurants that I wish was in SF, closer to my belly and my bed. But alas it is in a perfect nook of a back street in the most scenic city in the Bay Area. A perfect home for an establishment that does a "perfect" job pairing great sakes with great cuisine. Sushi Ran is in the "Top 5 must try the sushi and sake selections" in Northern CA.

I did not tell Yoshi that I was coming -- one of those "Hey I am with the media" unannounced means unbiased reports that would work if in fact I were with the media but I am not but it is still cool to pretend sort of visits. As such, I luckily got a single seat at the very nice sushi bar and started taking in all the potential "Sake Moments" that were as abundant as politicians in a parade. Yoshi's sake menu is quite strong with a solid number of sakes and offerings of all capacities. (In a word Yoshi knows his brews!) He also has an extensive ummm haaaa wine menu. Those pesky grape juices!

Sushi Ran's sake menu is 2 pages long with over 30 sakes that are broken down into "Light and Smooth Type -- Soushu Sake" "Rich Type -- Junshu Sake" "Nigori Sake" "Fragrant Type -- Kunshu Sake" "Warm Sake" and "Aged Sakes" They also have a "Dessert Sake" section. Each sake has a brief sentence describing that brew with its prefecture. For example this is the review for Wakatake's Junmai Ginjo: "Heavy sake with richness peculiar to Genshu type." They offer 4.5oz pours from $6 to $24 per pour and every sake is available by the bottle.

I started with a sake that I had not tasted in a very long time, when Yoshi spotted me. He asked if one of his friends could join me, and then proceeded to pour us three sakes that were soon to be featured in his restaurant. In fact he had just tasted them several days earlier, roughly the exact same time that the same sake vendor visited me with the exact same sakes. (On a side note we spoke about vendors bringing sake to taste, and Yoshi explained that he liked it when he opened the bottle with the vendor and spoke about the sake right then and there rather "than just leaving me a bottle." But I told Yoshi, that I far prefer when they leave the bottle and let me rip the brew apart on my own with follow-up questions later. Just two different schools)

The sake was flowing, and we were laughing. The sushi and sashimi offerings were exotic and extremely tasty. Yoshi said that all of his fish that we tasted were flown in from Japan. The flavors were melding, the laughs continued and then I noticed the "Sake Moment." Three seats down on the sushi bar sat a very -- ummm dare I say loud -- gentleman who was dining with a friend. In front of the two was an ice bucket, which was perched precariously on the sushi bar. I started really taking note of the gentleman as he was getting into his dinner with his buddy and of course really getting into a bottle of sake. He made a point of chilling each glass in the ice water before he poured the next round. He kept telling his friend "It's gotta be cold -- really cold!"

He then leaned back and offered a table with women, who he did not know, a glass of sake from his bottle. I was trying not to watch, but I had too, and felt compelled to hear what he was saying about his sake and sake in general. The women took a glass and thanked him, and he returned to sucking down chilled glass after chilled glass from his ice bucket. I noticed the first instant that I glanced over what the sake was, and in the back of my mind passed judgment on this guy. I am ashamed to admit it, but I was sort of thinking "hey look at me drinking superb Japanese sake -- and of course I know everything about sake -- and I am the greatest -- and look at what the hell that guy is drinking" In a word I was passing judgment on the guy because his brew that he made such a show over was a 1.5L bottle of Ozeki "Premium" sake from Hollister, CA.

Later that night in a cab driving across the now dark Golden Gate Bridge I thought to myself "You idiot!" "You pathetic sake snob!" "How dare you pass judgment on people, especially when they are drinking your most favorite passion in the world." It was a realization of sorts. I get so caught up in promoting premium sakes that I forgot the point of sake -- the personal enjoyment. Of course I am embellishing the story when I called myself the greatest etc, but I cannot deny that I mentally scoffed, and for that I should be damned to a life of drinking 20 year-old Nigori sake that has been aged in a shoe. (Damn that is harsh) Sake is about enjoyment. Sake is not the where or the what's it's the how much it makes one smile.

Thus my "Sake Moment" this month is to remind myself to try the Ozeki Premium sake the next time I visit Sushi Ran.

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In this month's SF Magazine's "The Best" issue there is a nice piece written by Camper English who attended two of our True Sake tastings and hit many of SF's excellent sake destinations. The Sake 101 tasting at Sebo Restaurant gets a nice look and the best line is "Class participation is awarded with bottles to take home -- so much better than a gold star." I cannot find a link to the article yet, but this is the rag's website.

Also this month for those who watch TV keep your eyes peeled for a show called "How To Get The Man" a reality-based ditty epicentered in SF on ABC TV. When they approached me to shoot in the store, I had no idea what the show was about (It was called "Single Minded" when they came to me). But I agreed and stayed away for most of the shoot, which was billed as "low-impact," which is like saying Anna Nicole Smith's bra is low impact. It was quite a production, and they really made the store look so different. It will be fun for those who have never seen the store. I arrived and then walked away when I heard the head guy say "True Sake.... Yeah! What was Sakes-R-Us taken?" If anybody captures this thing on a VHS tape I will gladly exchange it for a bottle of excellent brew.

(By the way, this will be the last full production shoot that I will allow ever again in the store, so think collector's item!)

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Okay Folks! The "Summer Nama-sakes" have made it to our shores and refrigerator doors. Just like Summer '05 we have brews from Ohyama (was the top selling Nama last year), Tsukasabotan, and Umenishiki. But wait! This season we have a new brew from Otokoyama that joins these fellow unpasteurized beauties.

If you are looking for the sublime and elegant Nama Dai Ginjo (not a lot of these) experience try the Umenishiki, or for those looking for dry and refreshing grab a bottle of Tsukasabotan. If plump and ripe is your thing try the Ohyama and if you want that clean and refreshing drinking experience give the Otokoyama a shot. Bottom-line is that there is a Summer Nama for everybody! Again, and we know that you know that we know that you know that we are going to say this again, but these great seasonal sakes are for a limited time only. So get'em while the getting' is good!

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Ohyama "Big Mountain" Yamagata Prefecture. Nama Tokubetsu Junmai. SMV: +3.5 Acidity: 1.3 If you are looking for "drinkable" without too much "thinkable" then grab this Nama. Clean, plump and round this unpasteurized sake has a nose filled with yellow cherry, apple, and ripe fruit tones. Is it semi-dry or semi-sweet, who cares as the overall feeling is refreshingly fruity without being sweet. There are very soft powder sugar, melon, and white grape flavors that move in a semi-thick texture with a stop-gap finish. Think watery but packed with flavors, and let it go closer to room temp for the full Nama experience. WORD: Grapes WINE: Merlot/Chewy whites BEER: Creamy Ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, grilled fare. $25/720ml

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Otokoyama Sasaori "Man's Mountain" Hokkaido Prefecture. Nama Tokubetsu Junmai. SMV: +5 Acidity: 1.4 The nose on this unpasteurized sake is filled with honeydew melon, ripe cherry, and white chocolate tones. This is a silky soft Nama sake that has hints of rock candy, honeydew, and powder sugar elements all wrapped up in a soft and semi-sweet drinking experience. Think semi-sweet and sunny, light and fun, bright and fresh. A great example of a sake that is full in flavor but soft in texture -- gentle and refreshing. WORD: Soft WINE: Merlot/Non- oaky chardonnay BEER: Light ales FOODS: Cuisine with a natural sweetness, fruit, seafood, cheese. $23/500ml

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Tsukasabotan "King of the Peony" Kochi Prefecture. Nama Junmai Ginjo. SMV: +5 Acidity: 1.5 This Nama-sake has a pronounced nose filled with apple, pineapple, and green grasses tones. Talk about a brew with two distinct elements! This sake captures two great qualities in the sake world -- the feeling called Nama, and the flavor generalized as Ginjo. It is a dry sake with full flavors such as steamed rice with hints of ripe persimmon and honey. Keep a taste bud open for Japanese apple-pear, minerals, and other crisp flavors. Dry and watery! WORD: Persimmon WINE: Complex reds/Crisp whites BEER: Pilsners FOODS: Grilled anything, salty flavors, fried fare. $13/300ml

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Umenishiki " Gorgeous Plum" Ehime Prefecture. Nama Junmai Dai Ginjo. SMV: +4 Acidity: 1.2 This extremely elegant Nama Dai Ginjo (not many of those around) has a lively nose with hints of minerals, green apple, papaya, dark chocolate and sea salt tones. Think crisp and semi-dry when trying a Nama that is built to enhance the subtleties found in Dai Ginjo sake. The tip of the tongue stays fruity whilst the finish is dry and everything in between captures nuanced elements such as unripe pear, almonds, mineral water, and a sneaky vein of bitter chocolate. Clean and compact this Dai Ginjo is a treat for those looking to see a subtle side of Nama-sake. WORD: Crisp WINE: Zesty reds/ Dry whites BEER: Crisp ales FOODS: Sushi, sashimi, gently flavored cuisines. $23/500ml

You can review many of our sakes on our web site:
www.truesake.com

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July 19th The Blind Tasting! Open your eyes to a Blind Sake Tasting! This event will feature 15 sakes, appetizers, and a souvenir tasting glass at the Miyako Inn (Best Western) in Japan Town, making it a great tasting to grab dinner afterwards in the abundantly restaurant-filled J-town. • WHEN: Wednesday July 19th 6:30-8:00PM • WHERE: Miyako Inn (Best Western) 1800 Sutter Street • WHAT: A 15-Sake Blind Tasting with souvenir tasting glass • HOW MUCH: $40/person • WHY: A great way to get into 15 sakes then hit Japan Town for dinner afterwards! • HOW: To reserve phone 415.355.9555 and remember all True Sake events sell out! • SMALL PRINT: As tickets are so in demand, there is a 24-hour cancellation policy!

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We typically get 20-30 emails per Newsletter from those wanting a summary of past sake tasting events. As such I make it a regular practice to highlight what you fools have been missing! (I say that in the most loving of ways). Point being, many people cannot attend a tasting and they want to know what goes down at these fun and informative events. Bottom-line is that we bend over backwards to create events that feature superb sakes, great spaces, and fabulous foods. You should at some point attend one of our tastings, and here's another example of why:

On June 19th True Sake held a "Full Strength -- Genshu" Tasting at Rumble Fish Restaurant in San Francisco (23rd and California). What the hell is a Genshu tasting? Essentially we selected 7 sakes that were "undiluted" in their production, resulting in higher alcohol contented brews. These sakes all had their unique characteristics often found in these "Full Strength" sakes. As one would imagine these big brews made for a big evening, which was highlighted by the Manager of True Sake -- Miwa Wang -- who made her debut at hosting one of these tastings. As I told the crowd, there is about ummm only one person in the world who I would let take the reins. She did a fantastic job!

The menu that night featured some of chef/owner Taro-san's secret versions of popular dishes such as chicken karaage, maki sampler, nigiri sampler, and an organic salad with "wafu" (Japanese style) dressing. Herewith is a list of the sakes that we tasted:

	SAKE #1:	Umenishiki Sakehitosuji "Gorgeous Plum" Junmai Ginjo Genshu
	SAKE #2:	Tenzan "Mt. Tenzan" Junmai Genshu
	SAKE #3:	Narutotai Genshu "Red Snapper" Yamahai Junmai Ginjo Genshu
	SAKE #4:	Tsukasabotan Deluxe Hourie "King of the Peony" Junmai Dai Ginjo Genshu
	SAKE #5:	Masumi Arabashiri "First Run" Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu
	SAKE #6:	Kasumi Tusuru "Crane of Kasumi" Honjozo Nama Genshu
	SAKE #7:	Momokawa "Nigori Genshu" Junmai Nigori Genshu

This was a good tasting to take a cab home from, which several tasters wisely did! All in all we really got a good sense of what a higher alcohol percentage tasted or didn't taste like. Several of these Full- Strengthers have already secured tickets for the Blind Tasting, so they could not have been too pickled by those elevated alcohol percentages!

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I recently received an email from Tracy R. who lives "outside of Chicago." She asked a very powerful and simply worded question:

"What are you afraid of in the sake world?"

My immediate and tasteless response was "an empty bottle," but I forced myself to go deeper. Deeper than "oh man there's no more sake in the house except for that bottle of sake from Australia that has been in the window for 3 years."

Okay, I will go all the way deep.

I am afraid of many things "in the sake world." But for the sake of space and time I will make a Top Ten Things That I Am Afraid Of In The Sake World List:

	10)	I am afraid that my customers will develop drinking problems.
	9)	I am afraid that the multitude of people who are entertaining the thought of going to Japan to visit breweries will be disappointed to know that they will be turned away at a great number of these kuras, for legit and not so legit reasons!
	8)	I am afraid that Americans and Westerners are spoiled rotten in that they have started drinking sake at the Ginjo or "Premium" sake level without doing their time drinking futsu-shu "regular" or table sake.
	7)	I am afraid that my peers and the actual brewers themselves scoff at the notion of sake cocktails, which have become a "big thing" in the West.
	6)	I am afraid that too many restaurants will jump into the sake "craze" by purchasing discounted (old) sake to make a fast buck.
	5)	I am afraid that my True Sake expansion program has taken a year-long pause.
	4)	I am afraid that the dreaded evil sauce known as Shochu will confuse and consume my sake drinkers.
	3)	I am afraid that Westerners will never fully accept the fact that one need not eat sushi to enjoy sake!
	2)	I am afraid that the Government of Japan will not honor and protect the sake industry and bestow upon it a status greater than most other Japanese industries by helping it with tax breaks and incentives, and holding it on the pedestal where it belongs!
	1)	I am deathly afraid of production issues soon to face these small beautiful breweries who are seeing a demand now that is sucking their supplies dry.

Please send your sake specific questions to askbeau2 @ truesake.com. (This address is not for general questions and I only review the questions once per month. All correspondence should use info @ truesake.com.)

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Ah, at last we have reached the end of this Newsletter and that of course means that we have come to the now-famous SECRET WORD. To those who are new the SECRET WORD is a chance for you to try a sake of note for half of that sake's original price. Just for reading this Newsletter. It is our way of saying thank you for trying to understand the wonders of sake. And in this regard we typically select a sake with a story, and this month's story is "Gold Flake Sake." This is the first time that we have done a "Kinpaku" or "Gold Flake" celebration sake that shows you how much fun Ginjo sake can be as a gift or a drinking brew.

Please remember the rules: only one bottle per reader, and don't tell your buddy at the moment if he/she isn't a Newsletter subscriber, always use a hushed or secret agent voice when saying the SECRET WORD, and lastly for those who have their sakes shipped I can only include the SECRET WORD sake in a four-pack purchase -- meaning you must buy three other sakes. This Kinpaku sake from Wakaebisu costs $30 for a killer looking clear bottle in a really cool box but for you glorious sake-jockeys your cost is $15. And the SECRET WORD is Gold Member.

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Thank you for reading!

True Sake

TRUE SAKE: America's First Sake Store.