I first really got into sake in 2008. I was visiting friends in Vancouver and stumbled upon the Artisan Sake Maker on Granville Island – the Japanese owner of the brewery had lived in Vancouver for a long time and was so devoted to his craft that he was determined to grow rice suitable for sake in Abbotsford, just outside of Vancouver.
It was fascinating when he went on to explain the process of sake production, from the local spring water he uses to the imported old school wooden box press that he used for his sake. The whole process and world of nihonshu was as nuanced and in-depth as I had discovered wine was years back when I became a sommelier. I told him that if he agreed to teach me the basics of sake, I would help market his products in the neighboring province of Alberta. Within weeks, I had his sake on retail shelves and was attending industry trade shows, bottles in hand, pouring sake and describing it using the basic knowledge that he instilled into me after just a few short and casual lessons.
When I moved to Hong Kong, it wasn’t supposed to be for long. I was going to “consult” on the opening of Yardbird just for a few months and then return home to continue my work on other projects, including marketing sake. In the end, it didn’t quite work out that way; I can’t believe over three years have already passed since I told the sake maker I would have to cut our working relationship short. I wish I could have found a way to work with the Artisan Sake Maker for a longer period of time, but I am truly grateful that I’m here in Hong Kong and for everything that has happened this far; I wouldn’t trade my fate in for anything else, I love it here and I hope that Hong Kong people get to live the life that they want, their way.
It turns out that China’s National Day falls on the same day as International Sake Day – I choose to honor Hong Kong and all of the great sake that we fortunately are so easily able to enjoy here with 11 of my favorite (click for the notes and scores).
Chikusen ‘Awa’ Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu
Inaba Sutera ‘Tank 3’ Junmai Daiginjo
Elliot Faber is the beverage director of two cool Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong – Yardbird and Ronin – as well as Sunday’s Grocery. He is also one of the world’s experts on sake, Japanese whisky, shochu, awamori and Japanese beer.
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