Greetings to all CSPs and ASPs,
On behalf of myself and the other directors of SEC, I hope you are all well.
The cherry blossoms are in full bloom as I write this, and within a few more days, the ground beneath them will be transformed into a soft, pink blanket of fallen petals, after which the year-long wait begins anew.
More good news from the sake industry as the “turnaround” continues at least another month. Is there enough momentum to reach critical mass? Only time will tell. But let us hope, work hard, and do our part.
The next Sake Professional Course with CSP testing is scheduled for July 18 to 20 at the offices of Tenzing Wine and Spirits in Chicago, Illinois. Be sure to convey that to anyone you think might be remotely interested in sake certification!
And enjoy the other tidbits in the newsletter as well.
John Gauntner
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Exports Up
Exports for the 2011 calendar year grew a bit, 1.8%. Beer exports grew by 6.6% and shochu exports by 12%, by contrast. Readers may recall that only about 1.7% of all sake made in Japan is exported, and that a 1.8% increase on 1.7% is not much. But all things considered, looking at all that happened in 2011 and the world economy, that is not bad at all.
Sake Shipments: “The Turnaround” Continues
Sake shipments for all of 2011 were revised to a figure of a 1% increase. This is outstanding considering that it has been going down three to five percent per year for the past twenty years or so. While January was flat compared to the same period last year, February was up a full seven percent over February 2011. And March, too, is expected to top that of a year ago. An asterisk in that column, though, is that March 11 of last year obviously will artificially deflate the shipments for that month, so numbers will look much better.
Still, some think that the long awaited bottom has been scraped, and that the turnaround has begun. Several retailers I have spoken too also feel sake sales are up and that the sake category is warming up again, no pun intended. But the industry must fan those flames, and we have to wait to see if there is enough momentum behind all this for it to continue to grow.
Ozeki Comes out with 7% Sake in a Beer Can
Ozeki, the fourth largest sake producer and the largest producer of cup-sake (“Ozeki One Cup series) has released a sake that is but 7% alcohol and sold in 350ml aluminum cans. Called “Cold Ozeki,” it will sell for 227 yen, just less than a can of beer. Note, it does not seem to be carbonated. In the past ten years or so in Japan the market for canned RTD (ready to drink) products, mostly shochu or vodka mixed with fruit juices, has really grown. While the official statement says it was for “people that want to enjoy sake with dinner but had been holding back on weekdays,” the positioning of this product is… interesting.
I have searched for it but have not found it. I will report back once I do!
EU Eliminates Limitations and Documentation for Importing Sake
Following the nuclear accident in Fukushima last March, the EU was requiring documentation for all sake showing its origin and test results for less than desirable components. However, as of April 2, those requirements have been lifted. It seems as if all testing showed that no cesium or anything else was in any sake at all, so the need to prove that no longer existed. Whether or not sake from all parts of Japan can flow freely in the EU is another issue, but at least the documentation requirements have been lifted.
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Sake Professional Course July 18 to 20, in Chicago, Illinois
The next Sake Professional Course will take place July 18 to 20, at the offices of Tenzing Wine and Spirits in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The Sake Professional Course, with Sake Education Council-recognized Certified Sake Professional certification testing, is by far the most intensive, immersing, comprehensive sake educational program in existence. Three days of classroom lectures and tastings leave "no sake stone unturned."
The tuition for the course is $799. For more information about the daily schedule and to read a handful of testimonials, go here: http://www.sake-world.com/html/spclv.html
Feel free to contact me directly at sakeguy@gol.com with any questions about the course, or to make a reservation. All marketing noise and shameless self-promotion aside, this course is already filling up quite fast. In fact, it is already half full (or half empty, depending on your point of view!) As such, interested parties should email me soon to make a reservation.
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MEMBER NEWS
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Brewing Sake: Release the Toji Within
By Will Auld
Will Auld, a graduate from the Portland course in 2011, has published a book on sake brewing called "
Brewing Sake, Release the Toji Within". It is chock full of great technical detail as well as practical steps to brew your own. It starts off with a quick-start guide and later goes into great technical detail.
Buy it here:
http://www.amazon.com/Brewing-Sake-Release-Toji-Within/dp/1468147781
And remember that Will also runs the sake home brewing page at
http://homebrewsake.com/home/
Sake Bar in Spain Next Summer
SPC Graduate and musician Rich Hawtin of Germany has told me that he will be setting up a “pop-up” Sake Bar on Ibiza in Spain for 12 weeks for the months of July, August and September. If anyone out there lives near or in Spain and can handle the language requirements, feel free to contact Rich or ask me to do on your behalf.
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In Closing,
We hope you are well, where ever you are, and enjoying sake in some capacity.
By all means, all CSP and ASP readers are encouraged to submit content for the SEC newsletter. Don’t be shy!
If you are no longer involved with sake, God forbid, or for any other reason you prefer to not receive this email, then please let us know.
Sake Education Council
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