Episodes

Join Miho Ota, Chris Hughes, and Chris Pellegrini as they catch up about what they have been doing recently. Tune in to hear how Big Chris has started a new sake tasting experience, all about Little Chris’s business development, and Miho’s exciting sake travel plans. You can sign up for the JSS sake and shochu tasting here: https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/6022742! We’d love to hear what you thought about the episode! Let us know at questions@sakeonair.com or send us a message on our Instag...

We are back! Sake on Air’s long summer hiatus is over and you can expect lots of new episodes in the coming weeks and months. Starting off is an interview of Xavier Thuizat, sommelier extraordinaire, about his new sake project with Daishichi Sake Brewery, how to pair sake, the emotional experience of drinking sake and many other interesting topics. Frank Walter interviewed Xavier after an event explaining the creation of The Gate, so there is a bit of background noise. But the conversation is d...

This week on Sake On Air, host Cindy Bissig is joined by special guest host Julian Houseman to welcome back a familiar voice: Tom Wilson, co-founder and head brewer of Kanpai, the UK’s first sake brewery! They recorded their conversation at Julian’s sake bar, Sake House, in Umeda, Osaka. Listeners may remember Tom from “Episode #73: Future of Sake with Les Larmes du Levant & Kanpai London”, where he joined us for a lively conversation alongside Grégoire Boeuf. Now, several years later, Tom retu...

We’re back with another episode of Sake On Air, and this week we’re trying something a little different! A casual catch-up session with our regular hosts, so you can get to know them better! In this episode, Cindy Bissig, Frank Walter, and Miho Ota talk about their recent experiences at the Tokyo Sake Challenge, their visit to Japan’s very first sake ice cream shop, and what exciting events and episodes are on the horizon. Plus, Arline Lyons shares about her role as a judge for the IWC and her ...

We’re back with another episode of Sake On Air, and this week we’re headed to Spain – where sake is making some exciting moves! In this episode, our hosts Cindy Bissig and Sebastien Lemoine sit down with Mayuko Sasayama, sake educator, author, and the driving force behind Iberkanpai, the first sake and Japanese gastronomy fair on the Iberian Peninsula. We talk about how Mayuko’s journey into the world of sake began, her passion for connecting Japanese food and beverage culture with new audienc...

We’re back with a brand-new episode of Sake On Air and this week, we’re bringing you behind the scenes of a special event – a sake-themed photo exhibition hosted by the Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center. For one week, starting February 12th, the Japan Sake and Shochu Information Center showcased the work of three international photographers: Anat Parnass, Anna Petek, and Cindy Bissig. Their stunning images highlighted the beauty of sake breweries and the craftsmanship behind Japan’s icon...

Our hosts, Sebastien Lemoine and Frank Walter made their way west to the little spot in Hachioji called Sake Dozo Kitchen. (Which is why the audio sounds a bit funky at times, apologies!) Started in February 2024 by fellow sake lovers David Cheek and Miwa Wag, the second floor restaurant is a delightful place to find your own sake language. The conversation winds through Dave’s and Miwa’s personal sake histories and what prompted them to open up their own kind of sake restaurant in Hachioji. We...

We’re back with a brand-new episode of Sake On Air, and this week, we’re doing things a little differently! Not an interview, not a deep dive into a trendy topic—just pure sake myth-busting. In this episode, three of our regular hosts, Arline Lyons, Rebekah Wilson-Lye, and Sebastien Lemoin come together to tackle some of the most persistent misunderstandings surrounding sake. From the belief that sake is a distilled spirit to the common (but incorrect!) practice of drowning tiny sake cups like ...

Hold your breath, Osaka—there’s a new sake bar in town! After much anticipation, Julian Houseman has taken the leap and opened Sake House in Osaka! For those unfamiliar with Julian, he is a long-time friend of the Sake On Air team – a voice behind the scenes, a sake industry journalist, and a brilliant musician among his many other talents. Now, he’s bringing his passion for sake to life with his very own venue, creating a space where sake lovers can gather, explore, and enjoy the incredible w...

For the final episode of our Sake 101 mini-series we dive into the 2,000 years of history of sake. Cindy Bissig and Chris Hughes explore the evolution of sake, not just as a beverage, but as a key part of Japanese culture. This is the perfect way to wrap up the season with a look at how sake became what it is today. Sake is deeply woven into Japan’s history, and sake history is really Japanese history. It is hard to pack centuries of events into a 30 minute episode, so this episode is a distill...

As our Sake 101 miniseries continues, we’re diving into one of the most debated topics in the world of sake: hot vs. cold sake! Beyond just personal preference, the temperature at which sake is served can completely transform its flavor, aroma, and overall experience. But with so much conflicting information out there, it’s easy to get confused and then there is the old myth that only bad sake is served hot—is there any truth to that? Join our hosts for this episode Cindy Bissig and Chris Hugh...

We are continuing our Sake 101 series with a dive into sake pairing. Cindy Bissig sits down with Chris Hughes to discuss why sake is one of the best beverages to pair with food. They examine just how versatile and exciting sake can be, and spoiler alert – Sake does not just pair wonderfully with Japanese food, it also has the power to transform dishes from all around the world. Chris explains how sake isn’t just to be paired with sushi (!) it can enhance flavors across a wide range of global di...

There is a lot of great sake out there, but how do you know what is “good” and what is not? There is no easy answer to that, because the answer is almost always, “it is personal”. However, you may have heard the term “Premium Sake”, which suggests that it is the good stuff. Which of course it is, but so is much of the sake that doesn’t have that on the label. So what does “Premium Sake” actually mean? And if it doesn’t mean the best sake to drink, what is it used for? In this episode, Sebastie...

This is the second episode our “Sake 101” mini-series! In our first episode we covered the most basic question “What is Sake?” and we hoped that this would help people new to the beverage get a basic understanding of what sake is, what it is not and also give a few hints on how sake tastes and of course how it is made. So, in this episode, we continue our journey into the world of sake, diving deeper into the fascinating process of how it’s made. Once again, the wonderful Arline Lyons joins Cin...

This week we kick off a brand-new mini-series in which we go back to the basics and focus on questions we all had at the start of our sake journey. Questions that may sound simple but may not be as easy to answer as they seem. Welcome to our “Sake 101’s”! Our host will take turns answering questions to topics including “What is sake?”, “Understanding premium sake” or “Hot sake vs cold sake”. So if you are new to the world of Japanese sake, these episodes are for you! We also think that if you a...

There is a new sake book on the market: SAKE: The Art and Craft of Japan’s National Drink written by no other Yoshiko UENO-Müller, founder of Ueno Gourmet, Sake Samurai, and acclaimed Sake Educator (among her many other titles). Join hosts Cindy Bissig and Frank Walter as they chat with Yoshiko-san and delve into what inspired her to write her second book, her passion for sake, and what brought her into the fascinating world of sake in the first place. Not a “coffee table book” but a “sake tab...

A few weeks ago we celebrated the exciting news of “Traditional Sake Brewing with Koji” being listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (if you missed it you can find out more here) and in this episode, we decided to dive deeper into the world of koji as we had the immense pleasure of interviewing Higuchi Koichi, owner of Higuchi Matsunosuke Shoten Co., Ltd. and one of the experts in koji starter manufacturing in Japan! So join us as our regular hosts Rebekah Wilson-Lye, John Gauntner, an...

Earlier this week the sake industry received some amazing news: “traditional sake brewing” was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. However, the term is rather vague on its own. So for this episode of Sake on Air, our hosts Arline Lyons and Frank Walter set out to clarify what “traditional sake brewing” means, the potential benefits of the listing, and what it might mean for the future. Arline and Cindy went to a celebration event in Itami and got to talk with sake brewers, shoc...

Japanese sake is made from water, rice, and koji. There are many specific rice varieties cultivated for brewing sake, all of which are lumped together as sakamai (酒米). Some are more prominent than others and one in particular has gotten itself a bit of a cult following. You may refer to it as the OG or grandfather of sakamai and of course, we are referring to Omachi (雄町)! One of the oldest rice varieties dating back to 1859, Omachi was first grown in the town of Omachi in Okayama Prefecture. It...

In our latest Podcast Cindy Bissig and Frank Walter had the pleasure to welcome no other than Singapore’s first Sake Samurai – Adrian Goh, the director and chief educator at Inter Rice Asia, IWC judge and organizer of one of Singapore’s biggest Sake Matsuris! For anyone unfamiliar with what a Sake Samurai is or how to become one, it is a prestigious title bestowed by the Japan Sake Brewing Young People’s Council, an organization of young brewers from all over Japan, every year since its concept...

Sebastien Lemoine, Chris Hughes, and Miho Ota sit down with Sam Boulton, author, mixologist and drinks consultant to talk about his new book, “The Art of Mixing Koji Cocktails.” Sam is based in Birmingham, and is one of handful of experts on Japanese booze in the UK. He was a participant in this year’s Advanced Shochu Academy in Kagoshima, and then spent almost a month visiting distilleries and breweries around the country after the program ended. He has also started a podcast “The Izakaya Happy...

Many people will be familiar with the word GI (Geographical Indication), especially if they are familiar with wine. Famous GIs are known around the world like Champagne or Prosciutto. But what about sake? Does sake need a GI system? What does a GI actually mean? Where do we find these regions in Japan and does GI make any sense in the sake world? Our regular hosts, Chris Hughes and John Gauntner unravel this somewhat controversial topic with Ken Takehisa, the CEO of Sake Edge and Monten. Ken is...

As sake continues to gain popularity around the world, shochu is next in line. In August 2024, the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS) held its inaugural week-long Advanced Shochu Academy in Kagoshima. The event was designed to educate professionals in the global beverage industry about shochu. The 12 participants came from diverse backgrounds—educators, importers, and consultants from seven different countries. Miho Ota seized the opportunity to interview them, gaining insights into...

Happy Sake Day! Here is a list of events that are happening this month in Japan and around the world. Outside Japan (Sake Day Events) On October 1st in Melbourne, Australia. Tamura Sake Bar is celebrating World Sake Day 2024 from 6 to 9PM. https://www.tamurasakebar.com/ On October 4th from 4 to 10 pm, World Sake Day NYC 2024 will be happening at The W Loft Rooftop (240 Kent Ave, Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY) https://www.upstairsnyc.org/world-sake-day-nyc-2024 On October 5th from noon to 4 pm, the ...