Podcast · 11 episodes
Sake Deep Dive
by Sake Deep Dive · English
A sake podcast for the beyond beginner! Sake brewer Andrew Russell and sake writer/translator Jim Rion dive deep into the history and culture around Japan's national drink to bring context and insight, for when an introduction just won't cut it. Join us every month for a tokkuri full of unfiltered sake knowledge! Our theme song is from: Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-n... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-lane Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg
Latest episodes
Sanin Ginjo - Sake from the ShadowsSan’in Ginjo—an unofficial, region-linked set of sake-brewing techniques from the San’in area (Tottori and Shimane; sometimes broader).31 Aug 2026 · 48 min
Dankake - Building a Sake MashDankake (stage mashing) in seishu—why sake brewers add rice/koji in stages rather than all at once, how it evolved historically, and how stage count varies (especially yodan jikomi/four-stage)…1 Aug 2026 · 46 min
Koshi no Kanbai - Snow Country SakeKoshi no Kanbai (Ishimoto Shuzo) and how its branding, production choices, and history shaped Niigata’s “jizake” boom—plus what the hosts learned from a rare brewery visit, including winter-only…31 May 2026 · 55 min
All episodes
Sanin Ginjo - Sake from the ShadowsSan’in Ginjo—an unofficial, region-linked set of sake-brewing techniques from the San’in area (Tottori and Shimane; sometimes broader).31 Aug 2026 · 48 min · 16 chapters
Dankake - Building a Sake MashDankake (stage mashing) in seishu—why sake brewers add rice/koji in stages rather than all at once, how it evolved historically, and how stage count varies (especially yodan jikomi/four-stage)…1 Aug 2026 · 46 min · 17 chapters
Koshi no Kanbai - Snow Country SakeKoshi no Kanbai (Ishimoto Shuzo) and how its branding, production choices, and history shaped Niigata’s “jizake” boom—plus what the hosts learned from a rare brewery visit, including winter-only…31 May 2026 · 55 min · 23 chapters
Itami - Sake's Other, Other Birthplace(?)The episode traces Itami (in Hyogo Prefecture) as the major pre-Nada sake brewing region, its rise from late-1500s merchant expansion, its peak in the Genroku era, and its decline due to logistics;…31 Mar 2026 · 1 h 3 min · 20 chapters
Niigata - How Snow Country Sake Fueled the Jizake BoomNiigata’s rise as a major sake region—how Meiji-era modernization, soft-water brewing, and the “tanrei karakuchi” (light/clean) style helped spark and define the jizake boom and later ginjo boom;…31 Jan 2026 · 55 min · 17 chapters
Brewery Hierarchy - Sake Making StructureThe episode explains the traditional “brewery hierarchy” in sake production and how it developed from the Edo-period kanzukuri (winter brewing) system, including why the system is fading and what…31 Dec 2025 · 53 min · 20 chapters
Namazake - The Story of Unpasteurized SakeThe episode traces the history and commercialization of namazake (unpasteurized sake), including the “nama boom” claims, why it was hard to scale (cold storage, cost, spoilage risk), and the…30 Nov 2025 · 49 min · 16 chapters
Hiyaoroshi - Autumn Sake Season is HereHiyoroshi (autumn sake) and how it differs from other “nama-style” and “aged” autumn terms, plus what to drink now.31 Oct 2025 · 38 min · 15 chapters
Sugidama - Sake Brewing's Evergreen SymbolThe episode explains sugidama (sake cedar/conifer balls) as the iconic symbol of sake brewing, why they’re hung outside breweries and shops, and how they differ from sakabayashi (“sake forest”).30 Sep 2025 · 43 min · 13 chapters
Nigori - Clearing up Cloudy SakeNigori (cloudy) sake—what “nigori” means (coarsely filtered seishu), how it differs from doburoku (unpressed/unfiltered), and how related cloudy terms work (orizake/origaram i, sasanigori, usunigori,…31 Jul 2025 · 47 min · 16 chapters
Sake Bars - Drinking in JapanDrinking in Japan, from izakaya (food-and-drink pubs) to kakuuchi/tachinomi (stand-and-drink liquor shops/bars) and modern premium sake bars, plus practical etiquette and sake-serving practices…28 Feb 2025 · 1 h 1 min · 22 chapters