Yoshihiro Sako, who is taking on the challenge of brewing sake in Oakland, USA, is a brewer with a unique background. Combining his sensibilities as a musician with the knowledge he has cultivated as a sommelier, he creates sake that is conscious of "enhancing acidity." The taste of this sake has been accepted by many people, and has blended in with the dining tables of America, where wine culture is deeply rooted. Why did he embark on the path of sake brewing? And what kind of sake is he pursuing in America? We interviewed him to find out his thoughts.

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Den Sake Brewery Head Brewer, Co-Owner Yoshihiro Sako

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Born in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. He moved to the United States in 2000 and worked as a buyer and sommelier for sake and wine in San Francisco while continuing his music career. In 2017, he founded Den Sake Brewery in Oakland, a suburb of San Francisco, and is now solely responsible for sake brewing.

A career change from musician to sommelier

Oakland is located across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco, America's leading IT city. Den Sake Brewery, established by Yoshihiro Sako, is located in a tin-roofed warehouse in a corner of Eco Park, which is home to a variety of workshops such as welding, woodworking, and pottery.

In addition to his musical activities as a musician, Sako has spent seven years in San Francisco as a sake and wine buyer and seven years as a sommelier. He has long been involved with sake in the local food and beverage industry, holding pairing events and teaching sake classes at restaurants and bars.

When asked why he decided to move from providing sake to the consumer to becoming a sake brewer himself, he said, "While working in the world of customer service, where sociability is required, I began to miss the creative and introverted side I had when I was a musician. I also wanted to do something that was truly Japanese in America, and since I've always loved sake, I decided to try making it myself."

Unlike Japan, home brewing is not prohibited in the US, so many people start making sake at home. Sako was one of them. "I started by borrowing the garden of a friend's house. I put small tanks inside a container to use as a preparation room, and used a tent for the koji room. After that, through an introduction from my time as a buyer, I learned the basics of sake brewing at Shiokawa Sake Brewery (Niigata Prefecture), and in 2017 I started my own brewery in Oakland."

The koji room tent I used when I was home brewing (Photo courtesy of Den Sake Brewery)

Although he launched a brewery, it would cost a huge amount of money to import the equipment needed to actually brew from Japan. That's when he turned to other businesses in the same eco-park for help. "We had people who could do woodworking and welding, so we got their help and built most of the brewing equipment by hand. The steamer is the largest one used in Chinese cuisine, and the brewing tank is a modified version of one used for wine."

Other ingenious handmade equipment lined up in the space include a koji room made from local white pine instead of the cedar commonly used in Japan, and a press made from a jumping stick.

How to be accepted in a place where wine culture is deeply rooted

Based on his experience serving sake in a restaurant as a sommelier, Sako believes that in order for sake to be accepted in America, where wine culture is deeply rooted, it is important to "increase the acidity."

"Acidity, which is the backbone of wine flavor, has the effect of cleaning the mouth and leaving it feeling refreshed. In America, there are a lot of heavy dishes that use dairy products and meat, so acidity, which cuts through the fat in the mouth, is a good match. Umami is the main flavor of sake, but I think that by increasing the acidity, it will go better with Western cuisine."

While pairing seems like there is a scientific answer, he feels from his own experience that it also depends a lot on what a person ate growing up. "People here are used to the acidity of wine, so the pairing is based on that premise. When I tried sake when I was used to wine, I felt that it didn't have enough acidity. It takes time to get the palates of people who grew up on wine used to sake, but if that can be done, I think sake will be more widely accepted."

Pairing steak with chimichurri sauce (a sauce originating from Argentina) (Photo courtesy of Den Sake Brewery)

Another thing they are particular about is that they don't always aim for the same taste, but rather try to make the most of the individuality of each tank. "I try different things every time, like changing the temperature of the mash, as if it were an experiment."

This is also related to the properties of the water used in the brewing process. The local Oakland water they use is surprisingly soft, but in drought-prone California, the water level in the reservoir drops during periods of no rain, and the water spends more time in contact with the reservoir walls. "This causes the minerals that seep out of the stones to affect the water's hardness. The phenomenon of the water's hardness changing with the seasons is an interesting aspect that doesn't exist in Japan, so I hope people enjoy the resulting change in taste."

Four unique brands

Currently, the following four brands are produced in two varieties, both draft and pasteurized.

(From the right in the photo)

①Den 90 Kimoto
This sake is made using pesticide-free, organically grown Luna Koshihikari rice, which is also used in Michelin-star restaurants, polished to 90% and brewed using the kimoto method. It has a mellow, rich mouthfeel and a powerful flavor that is packed with the umami of the rice. "In America, kimoto is now very popular not only with Japanese restaurants but also with local restaurants. Chefs and sommeliers are beginning to recognize its ability to pair well with local food, which is high in dairy products and protein."

②Den Blue Label
This is a standard product made with 80% polished Yamada Nishiki rice. It has a lactic acid aroma like cheese or yogurt in harmony with a fruity grape aroma, and a refreshing aftertaste. The yeast starter is made with white koji, which produces a lot of citric acid, and the acid protects the yeast, allowing it to be made without adding lactic acid.

③Den Blanc
Like Blue Label, this sake is made with 80% polished Yamadanishiki rice, and white koji is used not only for the yeast starter but also for the mash. It has a fresh acidity reminiscent of citrus fruits such as lemon and grapefruit, and a taste similar to white wine. It is said to be widely available in local restaurants.

④Den Red Label
This ginjo sake is made from Yamada-Nishiki rice polished to 60%. It has a light sweet and sour taste, but also has a complex bitter and astringent aftertaste. "The bitterness makes it easy to pair with a variety of foods, and it also has the effect of cutting down the aftertaste, so I value it."

Hoping to create a "flavor that can only be produced in this area," the rice, like the water, is all from California. As he says, "Customers are more interested in the story behind the farmer, such as whether it was grown without pesticides, rather than the variety," he places more importance on the story of the farmer in his selection than the variety, and this attitude is also reflected in the inclusion of the farmer's name on the label.

He also has the following thoughts on the rice polishing ratio: "The outer part of the rice is most susceptible to the influence of the soil, and this leads to bringing out the regional characteristics, so we're thinking about polishing it as little as possible. However, there is certainly a deliciousness that can only be achieved with highly polished sake, so in that respect we intend to keep Red Label, which is made with 60% polished rice."

New challenges in a new place

Taking advantage of the characteristics of the local rice and water, Sako is working hard to create a flavor that can only be produced in this area. We asked him about his future plans.

"We are planning to move our brewery to San Francisco soon, and as we will be upgrading our equipment and increasing our production volume, I would like to try some experimental sake brewing. I still have a lot of ideas, but I am brewing alone and cannot increase the production volume any further, so I have not been able to put them into practice. For example, we are currently making sake using natural microorganisms to bring out the unique flavor of this land, but next I would like to try using wild yeast."

Combining the creativity he has cultivated as a musician and the real tastes of American consumers that he has learned from his experience as a sommelier, Sako continues to create sake that reflects the nature and seasons of the land. We can't wait to see what new drinks he will create.

*The definition of a geographical indication states that "sake" only refers to sake made using domestically grown rice and produced in Japan, but for the sake of convenience, this article also refers to sake produced overseas as "sake."

Writer: Kanon Urabe

Living in Niigata Prefecture / Sake sommelier, sake sommelier, shochu sommelier
I worked for a government agency supporting the export of food products, including sake, and now I work as a freelance writer. I like craft sake, which has a pronounced sweet and sour flavor, and sake made with additional ingredients.https://www.foriio.com/k-urabe