Marketplace All-in-One Make Me Smart about the business of sake
Mar 27, 2026
Reiko Harai, founder of DC Sake Company and sake specialist who curates and teaches about Japanese alcoholic beverages. She links hanami cherry-blossom traditions to sake culture. They taste and compare ginjo and American craft sakes. Discussion covers Japan’s shrinking industry, U.S. brewery growth, tariffs, serving temperatures, ingredients, and regional differences.
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Tasting A Floral Ginjo Versus U.S. Craft Sake
- Reiko Harai led a live sake tasting comparing a floral Ginjo from Dewazakura with a U.S. craft sake.
- She described the Dewazakura Ginjo as cotton-candy and white-flower aromatic, best chilled and sipped in a wine glass for its aroma.
U.S. Craft Sake Emerging With Local Innovation
- Reiko highlighted that the U.S. has become a growing sake producer with over 30 breweries now.
- She pointed to Brooklyn Kura's craft approach (using hops) as an example of local innovation creating distinct flavors and community fans.
Shrinking Domestic Industry But Rising Exports
- Reiko explained Japan's sake industry is shrinking at home due to demographic change and an aging master brewer population.
- She noted exports nearly doubled around 2020 as breweries that could reach overseas markets grew while others closed.