“Ask Beau”– “What’s the meaning behind your truesake Instagram account?”

Ha! Well there is no “meaning” other than it’s an expressing for taking sake to new frontiers and new locations. I’m very lucky that I am not a one brand name Instagram sake account. I get to use all types of sake bottles and promote all sake, not just from one brewery. This is cool on two fronts. First, I get to pick the bottle then I get to pick the picture site etc. I don’t really play favorites. If a brew calls to me then I envision a good destination for that sake.

And! When I get an email from the Brooklyn Kura in New York that reads: “Our tap room is Open!” How cool is that? Sake is really coming into its own in the States and Canada. We have everything from sake rice farmers, to brewing wizards! (Yes, looking at you Jake from Sequoia Sake!) We have major breweries making better and better sake here. We have the excellent SakeOne in OR making great sake and importing great sakes as well. We have Takara or Sho Chiku Bai here in Berkeley doing amazing things with sake that they in turn send to many global destinations.

Many folks ask if I continually wear a backpack filled with sake bottles. Almost! Yes, it is a bit of burden at times to carry around clinky clanky bottles that are cumbersome. But the result sometimes makes me feel great. If you notice I don’t really sell sake with the account. It’s not about a retail store urging you to buy sake. Rather I try to match the artistry in each bottle of sake. I know the passion. I know the hard work that goes into each bottle of sake. And I know the imagery and “point” of why brewers pick their labels and bottle colors etc. There is a reason. I try to capture and express that reason further by putting a bottle in a tree, or by a waterfall, or in the setting sun.

I will admit that I do get caught up in the numbers game of “likes.” For example, I’ll put up a picture that is really dramatic, really one of a kind, and it will get 80 likes. It almost hurts! Then, I’ll see a person post a picture of their coffee cup and it gets 120 likes. I’ll say to myself what the heck? But then I just forget and realize that I am really just doing this for me. It is an outlet. It is my chance to artistically express myself, and as long as I feel good doing it, then that’s all that matters.

My daughters are big fans! They have helped me a great deal, and they've also been very patient with my little exercise. “Dad, why are you bringing sake bottles to my soccer game? I get a big kick when they “like” my stuff. It means a lot. I also like the Christmas present they got for me this year! They had my entire Instagram history turned into a series of books! They are awesome. And some of those pictures are pretty darn good!

You should check them out Instagram @truesake!