Sake Deep Dive

Itami - Sake's Other, Other Birthplace(?)

March 31, 2026·1h 3m
Episode Description from the Publisher

Andy and Jim dig into the past of Itami, an influential sake brewing area in Hyogo prefecture that found itself replaced by Nada. What innovations did Itami offer up, and why did it get left in the shadows of sake history? Come listen as your hosts brush the cobwebs off a nearly-lost sake brewing center that just might be the birthplace of seishu. Kanpai!Vocab for this episodeNamizake 並酒 - An early word for sake brewed with unpolished rice in both kōji and kakemai.Morohaku 諸白 - Sake brewed with polished rice both for kōji and kakemaiKatahaku 片白 - Sake brewed with polished rice for kakemai and unpolished rice in the kōji.Genroku Period 元禄時代 - A historical period, 1688-1705, when Itami was at its sake brewing peak. Kamigata 上方 - An Edo period term for the region around Kyoto, where the imperial court remained.Hashirashōchu 柱焼酎 - The use of kasutori shōchu, distilled from refermented sake kasu, as an additive to sake for a variety of purposes.Recommendations:Andy &Jim both - Choutokusen Shirayuki Edo Genroku no SakeDon’t forget to support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SakeDeepDive Also, check out Andy’s websites at: https://www.originsake.com/ and https://www.originsaketours.comFind Jim at his website www.JimRion.com, where he mostly doesn’t talk about sake at all.Our theme music is from Lotus Lane by The Loyalist - Preconceived Notions Available at https://soundcloud.com/preconceived-notionsUnder a  Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lotus-laneMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/1YVHRMVwwHg

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