Sak Pure and Simple: Facts, Tips, Lore, Libation

Sake Pure and Simple is written by a pair of powerhouses in the sake writing world - John Gauntner and Griffith Frost. If anyone can explain the world of sake to the English speaking reader, it would be this pair. While only one out of every hundred glasses of "wine" served in the US is sake, if you look world wide it's one out of every five glasses. That's a staggering number of sake drinkers out there! The US is slowly catching up in their appreciation of this rice wine with its delicate flavors. The book provides a wealth of information in a fun, easy to read format. For example, did you know that premium sake is virtually hangover-free? That's because the impurities that cause hangovers - called cogeners - are polished away from the rice grains in those higher end sake. Also, sake doesn't use sulfites, another cause of headaches for many wine drinkers. Many sake bottles have a "born on date" on them - for good reason. Sake does not last forever. You generally want to drink a sake within a year of its date. Also, most sake is best appreciated cool. You can best taste its delicate flavors that way. Yes, in the wintertime the Japanese do warm up some sake to help fight off the winter chill, sort of like mulled wine. Even then, though, they are only warmed to about 102F. They should never be "hot". Think of heating up your Chardonnay - all you would taste then would be the alcohol fumes! The book is part information, part tour guide. You get a list of sake bars, sake retailers, sake websites and even sake breweries in the US where you can visit and watch the process live. The small size makes it easy to carry with you when you're out on a road trip, to figure out where to stop next as you hunt down sake locations. Down side? I can get a fair number of sake from the stores around me, and pretty much NONE of them were the ones mentioned in this book. The only ones the book had that I'd seen were the ultra-cheap Gekkeikan. I'm not sure if they were writing about sake available on the West Coast which we don't get on the East Coast, but I found that very odd. Still, there is a lot of great information here, including how to taste and throw a tasting party, recipes, and more. A perfect way to get into the world of sake and broaden your horizons!

I'll keep my review short, as many of the others here have already pretty much noted all the details. Saké Pure+Simple covers just about all topics Saké, from history, lore, sake bar etiquette, science (types of saké, how it's made, etc.), flavor profiles, and anecdotes.It's good, easy reading (REALLY great for those 2-hour plane flights). It's organized in such a way that you can either read it straight through, or as I prefer it, just "flip to a page" at random. Great book!

A really fun book to look at and read through, full of solid, useful information. Some people may not like this book just because it advocates drinking sake chilled. That's absurd. This book is all about learning what true sake quality is. It's got facts, tips, lore, charts, categories, everything a reader needs to get sake savvy fast. Read it, test it, then make up your own mind!

This is an excellent book for anyone with an interest in sake. Mr. Frost and Mr. Gautner explain how sake is produced, and how it is best enjoyed. I adore japanese food and sake is the classic beverage one drinks with sashimi or sushi. However, as this book illustrates, sake is a good deal more versatile. I found the recipe and cocktail section to be intriguing.

Sake` Pure+Simple walks you through a history of Sake and how this tasty drink is made. Beyond learning about sake in general, the authors provide you with information that you can actually use when in the store (or restaurant). Having lived in Japan, and have drank my fair share of sake, I find this book (aka guide) a useful tool in understanding this 4000 year old beverage. The more I learned about rice wine, the more I realize it's just as complex and fun to drink as grape wine. Since reading the book I have begun drinking some of the author's recommendations cold, instead of scalding hot, and the taste is so pleasant and goes down easily (perhaps to easily). In the three weeks since buying the book I now have served sake numerous times with friends, once the fear of the unknown subsides, everyone has had a great time tasting various flavors and brands. The authors pit themselves against each other at times to defend their opinions and it is a refreshing way to learn more about sake. I am ready for a newsletter or a continuously updated sake` web site from these competent author's.