“Ask Beau” – “What’s missing?”

This question didn’t come via email, rather it came from a friend who I have not seen in a very long time. She was one of my original customers who spent a lot of time at the shop learning about sake. As we were speaking she reminded me about all of my “thoughts” I had about sake. She said I had sake goals. And I think that I’ve touched on many of these in my usual New Year’s Sake Resolutions issues of the Newsletter. But, she reminded me of a few of my “Sake Goals” that I had not thought about for over a decade.

In her words, one of my goals was to have sake on every restaurant’s wine list. If they had passion to have a wine list then they needed the passion to have a sake on that list. She reminded me of the countless owner chefs of great restaurants who loved sake but didn’t have a sake on their menu. I was actually starting to feel deflated when she said, “Oh, oh! What about the customers that should buy sake by the case or by the ‘big bottle’ (Isshobin 1.8L)?” Yes, she reminded me that I was gung-ho for trying to get customers to think in terms of buying their sake like they buy their wine, by the case. Or in the very least they would buy sake in the large 1.8L bottle, which represents more value, like they do in Japan. Ugghhh I said, “We aren’t there yet!”

Now I was a little less excited to continue the conversation when she said, “At least people are buying sake to take home by the bottle!” Hells Yes! Ha! The wind filled my sails again. You’re goddamn right! The store wouldn’t still be here if people only drank sake at their sushi joint. The mere fact that a niche little business like True Sake still exists is actually the culmination of all of my Sake Goals!

Woot! We are still here!