Sake Handbook

The Sake Handbook is the foremost guide to the history, brewing, and distinctive flavors of sake. Just what are jizake, namazake and ginjoshu? The Sake Handbook answers all these questions and much more about sake wine and will help you enjoy Japan's national beverage in style. Author John Gauntner is recognized as the world's leading non-Japanese sake expert. A longtime Japan resident, he is well known among sake brewers and others within the sake industry. He wrote the Nihonshu Column in the Japan Times for many years before writing a weekly column on sake in Japanese for the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's and the world's most widely distributed Japanese newspaper. In 2006, John received the Sake Samurai award. He has published five books on sake including Sake ConfidentialThis sake book features:This new edition has been completely revised and updatedGives you all the information you need in a handy, portable formatOffers a detailed explanation of the sake brewing processReviews over a hundred sake brands, with illustrations of their labels for easy identificationProfiles over 50 Japanese izakaya or pub-style restaurants in Tokyo and the surrounding environsLists specialty shops in Japan where you can purchase hard-to-find Japanese wine brandsLists specialty retailers in the United States and elsewhere

"The best currently available sake guidebook in English is The Sake Handbook by John Gauntner, an American living in Japan." --San Francisco Chronicle, "The Sake Handbook fulfills its promise of conveying enough information to make an able, if perhaps not master-level, sake taster and purchaser of the reader who aspires to such status. It could be an invaluable companion on that next outing to a Japanese restaurant or alcohol retailer, as well as a welcome gift for the enthusiast looking to broaden their knowledge about a centuries-old spirit." --Flavorful World blog, "[T]his book is a very welcome guide and pretty damn useful for getting you started." --Tokyo Beer Drinker blog

John Gauntner is recognized as the world's leading non-Japanese sake expert. A longtime Japan resident, he is well known among sake brewers and others within the sake industry. He wrote the Nihonshu Column in the Japan Times for many years before writing a weekly column on sake in Japanese for the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's and the world's most widely distributed Japanese newspaper. In 2006, John received the Sake Samurai award, the first year it was awarded. He has published five books on sake.