The Junmai Ginjo in a Keg

[The setting is a dark, busy, hip downtown bar with a reputation for a wide selection of draft beer.]

Bro # 1:              "Hey what's that organic beer on the end?  Momo... Is that an IPA?"

Bro# 2:               "Dude, that's not beer. That's sake."

Bro# 1:               "No way! On tap?"

(Bartender overhears and heads over to the pair)

Bro #2:               "Yeah bro, it says right on the handle."

Bro #1:               "I can't read the handle, man. It's too dark in here."

Bartender :         "It's sake.You wanna try some?"

Bro #2:               "But, is it, like, hot?"

Bartender:        [Rubs his waxed moustache] "No. It's not hot. It's cold."

Bro #2:              "Cold sake?"

Bro #1:               (to bartender) "That's cool. That's cool. I'll try some. Can I get a pint?"


The Sake Today Facebook page often features some really interesting articles from around the web and is a must follow for anyone who wants to stay current on sake.

I immediately clicked the link to the article they shared last week, highlighting the announcement from SakeOne that they are going to be distributing their MomoKowa Organic Junmai Ginjo by the 'keg,' and that it is now, in fact, available in multiple states.

No, not THOSE Kegs

 Each Momokawa 'keg,' holding 19.57L,  is just a little bit bigger than a to bin (18L), which is 10 isshobin (those big sake bottles), each of which is 10 go, considered standard serving size. So, figure a little more than 100 servings, if you're serving by the masu size.

Why do this? Well, the 'kegs', which are operated by nitrogen tanks are supposed to keep sake fresher longer and will be cheaper for establishments to buy and keep fresh in stock.

Pros and Cons

If the claim that sake stays fresher longer holds true, than that's always a plus, provided the establishment takes proper care of its taps and lines. Lord knows I've had some nasty beer from a tap- Not all taps are equally cared for.

But- this is a pasteurized sake, not a nama. Is freshness that much of a concern, especially for sake shipped domestically? This would make much more sense if it was a nama they were 'keg'-ing.

Perhaps that's next, and this is just a pilot run.

As for cutting down on waste, I guess you're saving a lot of glass and the cardboard it is shipped in, but, you're also producing a lot of plastic. Glass is not only recyclable but re-usable (as homebrewers are doubtless aware). These 'kegs' look more like plastic buckets. Are they reusable?

And if something about keeping sake in plastic rubs you the wrong way, I hear you, but lacking scientific evidence that the plastic can affect the flavor, this may be more of a personal gripe. If anyone knows otherwise, please enlighten me.

If the unit cost is lower for the bar- great. Let's hope that savings gets passed on to the customer, and more people drink sake. For some first-time consumers, the price of premium bottle of sake can be a deterrent.

On the minus side- I did like that label that they had for the bottles-

*image from SAKEONE

Some of the stateside sake labels are a bit underwhelming (I'm looking at YOU TyKu! ) but if they keep that design on the tap handle, well that's not so bad.

 Sake or Shochu? Shampoo or conditioner?

The Big Hand

In Japan, there is a term for the top 15 or so breweries in the country that signifies their influence within the industry. The "Big Hand," or O-Te  (大手) move a lot of sake and thus have a lot of money, and thus weight to throw around. In the past, they have influenced even how sake is labelled to suit their needs. It wouldn't be a stretch to consider SakeOne a 'big hand' in the states, so, what does this mean for the growing number of micro-kura getting started in the U.S? Will they look to keg, too?

And finally, is there any symbolic weight to the fact that SakeOne, is staking its claim at the beer tap? Is this another sign of a sake invasion?

 SakeOne has won the race to the tap, but who is going to follow their lead?

Sake Today's post on Facebook had comments that were alternately positive and sarcastic. I have mixed feelings about this, but mostly, I see this announcement in a positive light. There is a little bit of Luddite in me that is a little bit wary of technology fixing a problem that doesn't necessarily exist. Bottles work fine for me and for a lot of people, the sake bottle itself is cool. The labels have a romantic appeal for some.

They're gonna be the only sake on tap for quite a while, I'd expect. (That is if you don't count the hot sake taps behind the counters of countless strip mall sushi joints). They'll have no competition at the taps, at least. They have singled themselves out.

I just wonder how much confusion and the bartenders will have to deal with.