The Joy of Sake: Founder's Message | SAKE HUNDRED

Sake is a drink with a storied history, deep cultural roots, and artisanal craftsmanship. It has a rich array of profound flavors achieved through one of the most unique and complicated production processes in the world including multiple fermentations and rice polishing. Elegant like wine, brewed to create nuanced flavors, and refined like vodka, sake has a unique spirit and allure all its own.

Growing up in Tokyo, sake was not part of my life. My parents did not drink and my only encounter in college was drinking cheap sake that ended in a horrible hangover. Then, many years later, a friend introduced me to Kouro, from Kumamoto. Like being struck by lightning, I had an epiphany that would change the course of my life.

From that moment on, I wanted to learn everything there was to know about this beguiling drink. Over the next several years, I visited hundreds of sake breweries throughout Japan in an effort to understand the varieties, the techniques, and the culture of sake making, but most importantly, I wanted to understand the vision of the people who had been making it for generations. Each region of Japan has its own culture and there is no better way to get to know that culture than through its local sake.

Realizing that the true value of knowledge is in sharing it with others, I started a sake-focused media company dedicated to the education, information, and awareness of all things sake. Through SAKETIMES, I witnessed a new generation of sake enthusiasts emerge. Inspired by this resurgence, in 2018, I set out to create a line of fine sake with distinct flavor profiles that payed homage to the history, culture, and technique of sake craftsmanship.

Today, we invite you to experience the joy of SAKE HUNDRED, a curated collection of the most outstanding examples of Japan's national drink, showcasing its many styles and sophisticated complexities.