Make Me Smart Make Me Smart about the business of sake
Mar 27, 2026
Reiko Hirai, founder of DC Sake Co. and sake educator/retailer, curates Japanese alcoholic beverages and leads tastings to promote sake in the U.S. She talks hanami and sake’s cultural ties. She leads a ginjo tasting and contrasts American craft sake. She explains serving temperatures, ingredients, why U.S. breweries are growing, and how tariffs and demographics shape the industry.
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Tasting A Floral Ginjo Sake
- Reiko Hirai tasted Kimberly Adams on a Ginjo sake called Oka from Dewazakura Brewery and described its aroma as floral and cotton-candy like.
- She recommended serving this aromatic Ginjo chilled in a wine glass to enjoy the scent and sip it like white wine.
Brooklyn Craft Sake With Hops
- Reiko poured a Brooklyn craft sake called Occidental that had a slight pink tint and used hops for a beer-like character.
- Kimberly immediately noticed a beer/ hop flavor, illustrating how US craft sakes experiment beyond traditional Japanese styles.
Japan's Sake Industry Shrinking While Exports Rise
- Sake production in Japan is shrinking due to a declining population, aging brewers, and young people favoring wine and spirits.
- Meanwhile exports nearly doubled around 2020 as some breweries pivoted to overseas markets starting circa 2015.