My story in the New York Times

My story is out!! The New York Times, yo!!

I am grateful for the opportunity to brew sake in Fukuoka and for your support and encouragement. May I be an instrument to further respect for the brewing and appreciation for the consuming of premium sake from Kyushu! Kanpai!

Let me clear up a few items:

Sake is not “rice wine”. This is like calling hefeweizen “wheat wine” or merlot “grape beer”. Sake is fermented from rice, water, yeast and koji and should be categorized in its own unique category.

I am not trying to change how American sake is brewed. I do enjoy helping American brewers who ask me for help or advice. If I can't help them personally, I ask my Toji and questions get answered! But in the end, it would be impossible for me to care less than I do about how American sake tastes. I drink premium sake from Japan. That said, most of the start-up breweries in North America that I have either consulted with or otherwise know through tasting their wares are making quality jizakes that I enjoy and are worthy of your attention.

The quote describing our delicious genrokshu (A Zen Ai Koshu) comes from the canny Beau Timken of True Sake in San Francisco. I would describe this very rare, aged sake as having notes of hazelnut, chocolate, orange and persimmon. I’ve been drinking sake for 25 years and I haven’t had a sake quite like it! Oishi desu ne! It is the only sake that we brew at Wakatakeya Shuzo that can be purchased in the USA at True Sake’s website. Please enjoy!

お神酒上がらぬ神はない
“Even the gods drink sake, so it is natural that so should we.”

Audrey Hepburn Sake Debuts Next Week!

Our so-called "Audrey Hepburn" sake (our flagship, Tani Junmai Ginjo) is being presented at an annual Kyushu-wide sake sampling symposium next weekend--for brewing professionals only.

On this occasion dozens of Toji's, Government Technical Experts and Academics critique (often with brutal honesty) the best of what breweries have accomplished so far this season. Breweries will be present from Saga, Nagasaki, Oita, Kumamoto and Fukuoka. At a minimum, the headcount stands right now at 28 tojis alone! A feat given how busy these master-brewers are right now.

I thoroughly enjoy being an apprentice to a master on a day such as this one. I recall last year's event with great fondness. Truly, the only gaijin in the room. ("Gaijin" means non-Japanese, foreigner, or even connotes being an alien). But as I'm fond of telling, "I only look gaijin. I'm really Japanese!"

This occasion is essential for consumers, though the public is not allowed, as it helps brewers make choices on pasteurization, aging, adding water, adding distilled alcohol, whether to add fining agents (and what type!) etc. etc. from that day forward. Suggestions can really help jizake brewers improve their sakes before releasing them to the public. In Kyushu, there is a great deal of camaraderie, friendship and mutual respect among the brewers. I am thrilled to belong to this group! 

It's nerve-racking, but surely not for Ms. Hepburn. She's as graceful as ever. May our sake shine like a star next week!

Now, say my name.

"Now, say my name" is a powerful question from an iconic character: http://youtu.be/dy_DASt7hDs

I think my names were clues from Providence; markers to help guide my way on my path through life.

My first name, Gordon, can be translated into Japanese to mean "Strong man, drinks".

My last name, Heady, has descriptions that give context to my personality and my individuality.

...and people wonder why I am a sake brewer! With a name like "Gordon Heady", it's either brew or brawl!! I'm a lover, not a fighter. So the choice was easy. 😄☺️😍

head·y

  [hed-ee] 

adjective, head·i·er, head·i·est.

1.

intoxicating: a heady wine.

2.

affecting the mind or senses greatly: heady perfume.

3.

exciting; exhilarating: the heady news of victory.

4.

rashly impetuous: heady conduct.

5.

violent; destructive: heady winds.

6.

clever; shrewd: a heady scheme to win the election.

Kyushu (and other regions) gets punked by their own government.

How unfortunate such ignorance comes from JNTO in presenting sake to the world. Such claptrap. 

Some of the best sakes in the world are found in my adopted home of Kyushu, yet the Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) doesn't consider Kyushu (and other regions such as Shikoku, Chukugo, Hokkaido, etc) worthy of mention in their list of the best sake brewing regions:

http://www.japantravelinfo.com/gourmet/sakeguide.php

This awkward attempt at "promotion" is offensive, ignorant and dismissive to the rich culture, historical significance, and beautiful sake of Kyushu. They should amend this oversight and offer an apology.

By ignoring the entire region of Kyushu, (eight prefectures, 13 million residents, 100+ sake breweries) JNTO models rudeness and stupidity. This is akin to the government of France presenting French wine and ignoring Provence and Alsace or Scotland presenting scotch whiskey to the world and ignoring Islay and Speyside.

In closing, may I suggest a few sakes from Kyushu that are significant and worthy of your consideration?

Please try Amabuki sakes from Saga. Their yeast is derived from flowers such as Begonia, Sunflower, Marigold. Or you could enjoy sake from Koro— maybe their Junmai Ginjo from Kumamoto. Koro is the birthplace of the most famous the most successful Ginjo grade yeast ever Kore Kobo #9. Nishinoseki in Oita is another sake brewery worthy of mention. Please also try the koshu my own brewery brews called "Ai." It's a brown rice koshu and, chances are, most of you have never enjoyed a decent koshu before. And the list of worthy sake brewing regions that are slighted goes on and on and on.

The government struggles mightily to figure out how to effectively promote sake as a delicious choice instead of wine or beer abroad as well as properly encourage sake-related tourism to Japan. What a shame. Italian wine exports are 20x great than Japanese sake exports to the USA. Clumsy, ineffective promotion is one reason why the sake category suffers. 

Our koshu, pictured below, aged five years.