AndrewZimmern.com: You’ve been brewing beer for years. What sparked your interest in the first place?

Blake Richardson: I fell for sake pretty hard after tasting premium sake for the first time. After that it was all over. I kept sampling, reading, traveling to Japan for classes and studying brewing at Momokawa/SakeOne. I completely immersed myself in everything “sake.”

AZ.com: Recently you opened moto-i, the only sake brewpub outside of Japan (and only one of two in the world). What was your inspiration behind this place?

BR: Primarily, it can be summed up in one word – NAMA. Nama is unpasteurized sake. It is fresh, alive and fragrant and like nothing else. It tastes amazing. It is an extremely fragile product. It also tastes best at the brewery or local pubs that serve the local breweries’ products.

I thought it would be great to offer nama or namazake in a brewpub setting. Make it casual and accessible to everyone and welcome new converts to sake with a highly educated staff.

I then needed the right concept for people to encounter the sake, so I needed to open an Izakaya or Japanese Pub. The way food is served in an izakaya is small plates for people to share. It is a great way to eat and enjoy an evening with friends.

AZ.com: How did you learn the art of brewing sake?

BR: I took two paths to learn about sake. The first path was that I studied with John Gauntner over the past three years in Japan. John is the Western World’s connection to sake. I studied history, regionality, flavor, rice and yeast varieties and a lot more.

The second path was the actual brewing. I studied the art of making sake at Momokawa Brewing Company. Here, the focus was on all aspects of brewing: lab work, cleaning tanks, soaking and steaming rice, koji making, engineering… and so on.

AZ.com: Did you get any flack from Japanese sake sommeliers and brewers because you are an American, or were they excited to pass on their knowledge?

BR: I experienced both extremes. I was at a small dinner with an owner of a brewery that was founded in the 1800’s. I told him my goal of opening a small sake brewery and restaurant. And his response to my idea was, “When you find that your sake is not good, will you carry mine?” I smiled.

On the other hand, there have been brewers that have gone out of their way to help me. One of which just sent me some sakabukuro. (These are filter bags that are tied from poles to press sake gently until it is clear, very exquisite!). These brewers see this as the beginning of a trend that will further the sake industry as a whole. It is not at all a reach to think that this will be similar to the wine and beer movements of the past.

AZ.com: It might seem strange that the first sake brew pub outside of Japan opened not in New York or San Francisco, but in Minneapolis. Aside from the fact that you live there, what makes Minneapolis an ideal spot for this kind of operation? Do you think Minnesotans are ready for moto-i?

BR: Yes! I did a lot of research about sake in the marketplace. I studied the US as a whole and Minneapolis on a small scale. The interesting thing about the Minneapolis market is that restaurant sake sales are disproportionate to liquor stores. In other words, restaurants that carry sake sell more than liquor stores on a per person basis. That told me that people were eager to drink sake as long as they could get some education at the same time. And the numbers as a whole in Minneapolis are also quite good. People love sake here but are just not that vocal about it.

I knew that I could open moto-i in New York, San Fran or Chicago. But I didn’t want to. I wanted to open in Minneapolis. My gut told me that Minneapolis would take to it. And after I did the numbers, it was a go.

AZ.com: You currently offer three types of sake: Junmai Nama, Junmai Nama Nigori and Junmai Nama Genshu. Why did you decide to release these three first? What makes them unique?

BR: First off, the definitions:

Junmai – Pure rice alcohol sake. Typically the rice has been milled to 70% of its original size.
Nama – Unpasteurized.
Genshu – Undiluted
Nigori – Loosely pressed. Cloudy appearance.

I chose these three sakes (which is to say the mill rate, rice variety, yeast and post fermentation treatment) because they are accessible and a great introductory to sake.

When I was planning moto-i over the last seven years, I introduced everyone I knew to premium sake. We would drink two or three and I would listen, without leading the witness, to what they like and disliked. There was one type of sake in particular that started to stand out as the clear introductory favorite. Then a few more appeared. So I was influenced by these and made sake that I thought would appeal to my research partners (drinking buddies).

However, as we make more sake at moto-i, we will introduce things that will be more complex and different. For instance, we will be making a Yamahai soon, and that style might not be for everyone. Yamahai can have a hint of gaminess and a big mouth feel. But those who like Yamahai, love Yamahai.

AZ.com: Many sushi and Japanese restaurants serve hot sake. You don’t. Explain the hot vs. cold.

BR: In a very GENERAL sense, low-grade sake is served warm and premium grade sake is served chilled.

Low grade sake or Futsuu-shu is made with table rice or rice that has not been designated the classification of being “shuzu kotekimai.” This grade of sake is typically heated up to mask flavors that would appear if the it were chilled.

Premium grade sake is made with rice that has the classification of sake rice. This grade of sake is typically served chilled in order to bring out the subtle flavors that are otherwise not found at room temperatures or higher.

Keep in mind that there are exceptions to both.

I was in Niigata at a sake festival last spring. I came upon a booth where the brewer offered me sake. I tasted it, slightly chilled and thought it was amazing. I wanted to buy a bottle and noticed it was only 200 Yen ($2) for a 300 ml bottle. He explained that this was the breweries fuutsu-shu, the cheap stuff.

Another notable exception is the style of Yamahai. Yamahai style can be made with any grade of sake (low or premium) but is most often made as a Junmai grade, which is premium. Yamahai is a type of yeast starter that lasts about 28 days. This particular style, although premium, tends to heat up very nicely.

AZ.com: Will your sake be available anywhere besides moto-i?

BR: Minnesota law dictates that I can only sell at a retail level, not wholesale.

AZ.com: What are three misconceptions about sake?

BR: That it's wine, one dimensional and always served hot

AZ.com: Any American-made sakes you love?

BR: Momokawa G (Genshu)

AZ.com: Top five favorite places to grab dinner in the Twin Cities.

BR: The Gopher Bar for a coney, Chiang Mai Thai for noodles, Dick’s for a bison burger, Manny’s for steak, Fuji-Ya for sushi.

AZ.com: Describe your perfect meal.

BR: Soba or Ramen noodles with grilled meats and sake in a dark alley in Osaka.

AZ.com: What’s in your fridge?

BR: Nothing. Now that moto-i is open, it will be turned off until 2009.

Blake Richardson is the owner and head brewer at moto-i and the Herkimer Pub & Brewery in Minneapolis. Richardson also plans to host a once-a-monthsake seminar for small groups who want to learn more about thetraditional Japanese drink. For details, visit moto-i.com.