Welcome to the November Issue of America's sake-centric newsletter. In this issue "Bird is the word" for sake this Thanksgiving. Also meet your newest and first Sake Samurai, speak the language of Nigori sake, and let's talk about the pricing of sake. Welcome to the Holidays!

In this issue:

• Thanksgiving Challenge - Sake and Turkey?
• Sake Samurai - The Japan Sake Brewers Association's New Designation
• Sake Spotlight - Tim Sullivan Goes Nigori!
• New Store Arrivals - Fall-Released Namas, Kikuhime, and Hakutsuru
• Special Events - Return of "Kani Night" November 16th
• "Ask Beau" - Is Sake Expensive?
• The SECRET WORD

In the classic coming of age movie "Risky Business" a young Tom Cruise finds himself hiding behind his front door with a rather large transvestite prostitute on the other side. Young Tom was hoping for a different sort of prostitute when the other fellow appeared. Sensing that his potential client was desiring a different sort of lady of the evening the courteous professional asked Tom to open the door so that he could A) call a cab, and B) give Tom (whose name in the flick was Joel) the phone number of somebody who might better suit his needs. Joel hesitated and kept from opening the door. At which point in a low but very secure voice the transvestite said "Joel, be a man. Open the door."

This November Newsletter represents the 3rd year in a row that I have asked you good readers to consider supplementing sake for your typical Turkey Day libation. Two years ago I "dared" the readers to integrate sake into this very American holiday occasion. And last year I flat out begged:

"The funny thing is that I have been working so hard to get people to grasp the concept that sake need not be that rubbing alcohol jet fuel hot plonk that they are so used to in a hot sake, and if fact it is quite soft, light and filled with nuance. That was the easy sell, and now I have to wheel the big ship back the other way to show that not all sakes are soft, clean and easily overwhelmed by flavors such as cranberry, gravy, or garlic. Sake has balls when it needs to, and there are a ton of really unique and flavorful brews that go so perfectly with the "T-bird." (Hell, we even have a fantastic nihonshu (sake) to go with a Tofuty-bird) I look for a robust acidity when I pair with meat, game or fowl. Add to that butter and other mouth filling flavors I like sakes that have some staying power in terms of flavor. I select fatter sakes that fill the mouth, rather than the light clean ones that fire right through the palate. Think meaty sakes for meaty flavors, and also use a larger glass than usual to mix up that acidity. Go with your big reds glasses, and don't worry about the next day big reds hangovers. Sake is really a slam dunk this Thanksgiving, and to make it even more easy I will hang little turkeys around the necks of the sakes that excel with the bird in the True Sake store. By all means phone in - 415.355.9555 - and we will shout these out. Give the rice drink a shot at your mom's potatoes or you Aunt's version of "deep fried Turkey." You will not be disappointed. Here are "Five To Try" and they are in alphabetical order: Hiraizumi Yamahai Junmai Kikuhime Yamahai Junmai Masumi Yamahai Junmai Ginjo Taiheizan Kimoto Junmai Tenzan Junmai Genshu"

So basically this year I am asking you all to "Be a man!" (or Woman) and go for it. Throw sake to the lions and watch how well it performs. There isn't a fowl alive that cannot be paired with nihonshu. I will add 5 more sakes that are new this year that will also stand up to that overcooked underjuiced slab of white sandpaper that your father calls his "best bird ever."

5. Narutotai Nama Ginjo Genshu
6. Kasumi Tsuru Yamahai Ginjo
7. Born Muroka Junmai Dai Ginjo Nama Genshu
8. Tsukasabotan Junmai Dai Ginjo Shizuku
9. Otokoyama Junmai Genshu

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On October 20th myself and 5 other sake centric folks were awarded an inaugural designation within the sake world during a memorable ceremony in the second oldest Shinto shrine in Kyoto, Japan. The experience itself ranks up there within the top five greatest days of my life. And I will be hard pressed to ever experience an event like that again for the rest of my days.

I was notified about the ceremony by email, which was followed by one of those "huge" envelopes that usually are reserved for weddings. Stunned beyond belief I shot off an email to John Gauntner to see if he knew what in the hell it meant. He had no clue! (John would get the same email and letter a few days later.) Slowly word came back to me from importers and the like that it was a new designation for those who strive for the betterment of sake on a host of levels. The letter asking if I would attend used words such as pioneer and keeper of sake's tremendous history. Me? I kept asking myself. Yes came back the reply from the current Sake Samurai Overall Chairman - Koichi Saura (Owner of Urakasumi brewery)

The ceremony itself will be touched upon in a future Newsletter, as it is worthy of far more than a few paragraphs, but let it be said that I have never been so nervous in my life as I was there bowing in front of a shrine of 1.8L sake bottles with each and every Shinto god looking down upon me and my orange socks. (Why did I pick that day of all days to wear my orange socks?) Pressure is one thing, but when a monk told the six of us to not screw up the ceremony (in so few words) I felt like a diamond under some wall of rock a mile under the earth's surface.

Of all of my titles and licenses within the sake world, this bar far is my greatest achievement. To be honored by those who brew and have brewed sake for generations makes me feel as if all of my hard work getting out the gospel was recognized and appreciated. People have asked me for quite some time, why did I open the first dedicated sake store outside of Japan? My answer was always the same, because I'm the only one dumb enough to do it. Well maybe the fact that I am now a Sake Samurai means that I am not that dumb after all. (This is still debatable)

Let me collect my thoughts and notes on this tremendous event and I will post more in a future Newsletter!

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Ahhh the Internet. We take this beast so much for granted that at times we forget the absolute power that we have at our meaty little finger tips. And I say power in the most instantaneous of ways, as in instant info on anything, including our very dear friend sake. Our special Sake Spotlight guest this month came to me electronically and I have yet to meet him in a 3rd dimensional sense.

Timothy (Tim) Sullivan is a fellow sake soul, and a guy who also heeded the sake sirens call and didn't crash his ship on the rocky shore. He too started a pilgrimage to gather a sense of the "it" that brings so many of us to the alter of sake. What is it that makes rice and water taste so? What is it that makes sake so "living?" Tim has taken his passion and sake soul search to the Blogosphere, and I asked him a while back if he would like to Spotlight one of his "special brews." Herewith is his review of a Nigori from Gifu Prefecture that is extremely popular in the Nigori universe - Shirakawago Sansanigori. I also asked him to speak about his "space" and the NYC sake scene:

I remember one night when I was making my first tentative steps into learning about the world of sake, I was eating at a japanese restaurant here in New York and I saw an attractive young couple at the next table order this exotic-looking cloudy sake poured from a beautiful blue bottle. I decided immediately that they must be super- cool sake experts who knew enough to order and enjoy such a funky and unusual sake. Of course, I later learned that what I saw that night was a cloudy "nigori" sake or specifically Shirakawago Sansanigori ("Bamboo Leaf", Gifu Prefecture, SMV +1, Acidity 1.5, Seimaibuai 60%, Alcohol 15.3%). After several tastings, I've come to appreciate the specific charms of this particular Junmai Ginjo Nigori. First, I love the texture and consistency. In the extremes, some nigoris are a chunky soup while others are thin with just a whisper of texture. I think Sasanigori strikes a good balance and hits your palate with it's pleasing smooth 'n' creamy mouthfeel without being too heavy. Shirakawago's creamy texture is a perfect counterpoint to foods with some spice and I especially recommend it to anyone who enjoy a little extra wasabi with their sushi. Secondly, I'm interested in the connection with the sake on my table and the place it was created. In this case, the small village of Shirakawa in Gifu prefecture was designated as a World Heritage Site in December of 1995 and is most identified with the preservation efforts of their beautiful hand-built thatched roof houses, each one hundreds of years old. If you look at the Shirakawago Sansanigori label, you can see one of these houses pictured. For centuries, up until filtration technology was perfected, all sake was nigori sake. I find it fitting to select a nigori from a place that has such a strong connection to the past and where things are really done the old fashioned way. So, if you are ready to step up and give nigori a try, head on over to True Sake and get yourself a bottle of Shirakawago Sansanigori. With this brew in hand, you can't help but have that super-cool sake-expert feeling. I started my blog, UrbanSake.com, to record my experiences learning about all things Sake in New York City. To my surprise, I found an abundance of sake resources, a teeming underground of sake fanatics and many shops, bars and restaurants to explore. If you're headed to New York City, here are my tips for turning your vacation weekend in to a "Sake and the City" weekend: Downtown: My recommendation for a japanese restaurant is a little gem called Tomoe Sushi (172 Thompson St.; 866-625-2995) There is often a line to get in, but it's so worth it. Shirakawago Sansanigori is on the sake menu along with our friend Hakkaisan. After dinner, head over to Sake Bar Decibel ( 240 E 9th St.; 212-979-2733 ). It's down a flight of stairs and has an expansive sake menu and some yummy japanese snacks including a great mochi ice cream sampler. yum! Uptown: If you must go to only one sake place in New York, make it Sakagura (211 East 43rd Street, B1; 212-953-7253) This is the destination for sake lovers in New York. The sake menu is the biggest and best in the City, the food is delicious, and the staff will guide you with expert advice. Should you find yourself in Times Square, ditch the Lion King and head over to Sake Bar Hagi (152 West 49th Street, lower level; 212-764-8549) instead. They are open til 3am and offer casual izakaya pub food with an enjoyable sake menu to go with it. New York really is the city that never sleeps in it's pursuit of sake, so enjoy and of course, Kanpai!

Awesome Tim, thank you! I agree a lot with the texture play of Shirakawago. And in our line-up of Nigori sakes at True Sake we have it placed directly between the fluffy sweet and the whispery dry unfiltered sakes. I get a little layer of coconut that spells amazing food pairings with Thai and spicy Asian cuisine that use a fair bit of coconut in their ingredient profiles. Herewith is my review of the "Bamboo Leaf":

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Shirakawago Sansanigori - "Bamboo Leaf" Gifu Prefecture. Junmai Ginjo Nigori. SMV: +1 Acidity: 1.5 Rice: Hida Homare milled to 55% This giving Ginjo Nigori is a creamy coconut slide wrapped in a milky mouth with a great finish, fairly non-descript and clean. With a nose of rose pedals and raisins, it has a smooth texture and a silky finish of vanilla, coconut and cream. The viscosity is thin for an unfiltered sake, but the abundance of rice flavorings makes for a clean finish. Think semi-sweet, thin and slippery. WORD: Coconut. WINE: Semi-dry whites BEER: Creamy Ales FOODS: Spicey Asian fare, fresh tropical fruits, creamy cheeses. $10/300ml and $22/720ml

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Yes folks it is that time of year when the "Hiyaoroshi" sakes are released by select breweries, and this season we will be featuring two old familiar and yummy faces! Remember Hiyaoroshi means that they made this sake in the Spring this year, using last year's rice, pasteurize it once, and then let it "mature" throughout the summer for 6 months and then release it without hitting it with heat again. This produces some very unique flavors from some very cool breweries.

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Urakasumi Hiyaoroshi "Autumn Draft" Miyagi Prefecture. Tokubetsu Junmai. SMV: + 1.5 Acidity: 1.4 The nose is filled with aromas such as chestnuts, raisins, and cream. From the brewery that specializes in "balanced" behold a new twist in seasonal sake - a brew that is both rich and crisp! This draft has a complexity and elegance that must come from the subtle maturing, and be on the lookout for a hidden layer of raisins within the dry and rich onslaught. Overall it is a light, rich and crisp sake that drinks mellow. WORD: Crisp WINE: Dry reds/Crisp whites BEER: Crisp ales FOODS: Sushi, anything from the grill, and hard cheeses. $26/720ml

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Wakatake Aki No Ki-Ippon "Autumn Draft" Shizouka Prefecture. Tokubetsu Junmai. SMV: +1 Acidity: 1.4 This once-pasteurized draft sake has a nose filled with earth tones, caramel, and hay. Think smooth and layered when tasting this brew, as there is an abundance of round and soft flavors that rest more on the earthy side. Watery, calm and gentle it drinks far drier than its SMV. There are hints of smoky elements but the overall character is mellow, and that is why they make this type of sake. A good example of light and smooth draft sake. WORD: Smooth WINE: Soft reds/Dry whites BEER: Pilsners/stouts FOODS: Grilled and salty fare, sushi, and smoked cheeses. $26/720ml

Also new to the store is a superb sake that is not available anywhere else in the US. This unique brew is a favorite of Ryuta Sakamoto from the wonderful restaurant called Medicine in San Francisco. (I did their sake menu) It is pricey, but when you want to taste a supreme sake-being then give the Dai Ginjo from Kikuhime an try:

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Kikuhime "Chrysanthemum Princess" Ishikawa Prefecture. Dai Ginjo Genshu (Aged Over One Year). Some sakes are built well and some are built like this amazing Dai Ginjo. With a gentle collection of cherry, sweet rice, melon, lavender, and powdered sugar aromas, this brew is a mouth-ride at its finest. Thick and chewy with a super soft texture, behold the definitive "fat" sake. There are hints of grains and steamed rice on one floor and far more savory flavors on another, and hidden amongst it all are deep rich fruit veins that one must seek or miss altogether. Plump and rewarding this Dai Ginjo has a structure like no other, enjoy the acidity and revel in the complexity. WORD: Complex WINE: Deep reds/Fat whites BEER: Belgian Ales FOODS: Made for grilled fare and complex cuisine. $125/720ml

Last but not least is a new Nigori to grace our shelves at True Sake. This brew comes in a pink bottle, but it does not taste "pink" in nature. Hakutsuru Sayuri from Hyogo Prefecture is a very smooth and "subtle" Nigori that speaks to those who want a complexity and smoothness in their unfiltered brew.

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Hakutsuru Sayuri "Little Lilly" Hyogo Prefecture. Junmai Nigori. SMV: -11 Acidity: NA This unfiltered sake has a very light nose filled with cream, cherry blossom, and white grape elements. "Sayuri" is a very special Nigori - it is not flashy and not simple - just clean and easy with a semi-sweet appearance and very smooth finish. There is a watery softness that is hard to explain amongst all of the Nigori qualities, but it is not watery! Light and creamy with subtle fruit tones and an overall "milkiness." If you like it light and easy this brew is for you! WORD: Light WINE: Soft reds/round whites BEER: Sweet ales FOODS: Spicy fare, grilled meats, desserts. $9/300ml

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

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November 16th - Return of "Kani Night" -- SOLD OUT! This is the second annual "Crab Night" sake pairing - featuring crab prepared six ways paired perfectly with six amazing sakes. • When: Thursday Nov. 16th from 6:30-9:00PM • Where: Toraya Restaurant in Japan Town • How Many: Only 14 tickets available! • How Much: $80/person • How Come: Last year was so amazing we have decided to rekindle the magic! Please order your tickets by phoning True Sake - 415.355.9555

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Alas the "Ask Beau" email address produced a question about sake, amidst the 1247 spam emails. (The person who gave this address to the spammers will undoubtedly go to a burning grave filled with scorching hot shochu.)

Thus amongst the "How to lose 20 pounds in 30 minutes" and "How to have a sexual experience like a race horse" came a question from Trevor D from Austin, Texas who wrote:

"Is it me or does sake seem really expensive?"

Trevor of course it's you! That's the short answer. The long answer is that you sound like Charles Manson who once asked "Is it hot in here or am I just crazy?" Have I tried to deflect the question enough? Yes the answer is yes! Well sort of! Firstly I would like to state for the record that restaurants don't do anything to shatter this notion, as they are the worst at pricing sake affordably. Restaurants will typically pour sake less than a wine pour and charge more for the lighter pour. Thus what the market gets is a 3oz pour (2oz less than a typical wine pour) for what seems like much more than a full wine pour. Case in point is a Peruvian restaurant in SF that pours sake to pair with their ceveche. These guys use a tall shot glass (2oz) and charge $10 for a Junmai of average quality. A total rip-off! In this light Trevor you are indeed correct!

I sell sakes in my store - on the whole - for about 20% more than you can purchase these brews in Japan. That said, some sakes from certain importers who use certain distributors cost almost 50% more on my shelves than the exact same sakes in Japan. It is true, we don't have many "Two Buck Chucks" in the imported sake world. This is not the case for sakes made in the US, which can be very affordable. The perception is that sake is really expensive, but these views may change when we get more and more sakes coming on line into the US. As of last year there were about 500 registered sakes brought into the States, and this number will double by the end of next year. The more sakes available the better the pricing to the customers, as market forces will come much more into play.

Sake is as pricey as most other imported fermented beverages. The problem rests with the fact that there are thousands of wines to compete at lower price points and we still only have a limited number of brews available to the sake consumers. The good news is that sake is perishable so we will never have outlandish pricing that is supposed to reflect the fact that you could lay bottles down for aging like the very popular Bordeaux market. All in all, sake is about on par with other sauces, but it has the best potential for price reductions in the future.

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 - whoooooooooaaaaaaaa Nellie I must stop here and say a word of caution! The manager of True Sake has noticed a disturbing trend of late revolving around the "fly-by" Secret Word consumers - in other words the folks who run in the store only for a Secret Word brew, never buy anything else, and only visit once per month. I will remain neutral in this issue, but consider yourself warned! This month's sake is a killer Junmai from Yamagata Prefecture that I helped name!

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. "Bamboo Tears" is a round and soft Junmai that has that Yamagata deep flavor push that is abundant in all of the Takenotsuyu sakes. This gentle and smooth Junmai retails for $24 but for you glorious sake-jockeys your cost is $12. And the SECRET WORD is the name of the owner of the brewery - a man who I call the Michael Jordan of the sake world - Mr. Masao Aisawa. (Good luck remembering that!)

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Thank you for reading!

True Sake

TRUE SAKE: America's First Sake Store.