Upon graduating from college in 1990, Henry entered the restaurant business as a cook. He worked his way up the ranks, mainly at the Fog City Diner in San Francisco, but ultimately decided the life of a cook was not for him. He headed back to New York and went into journalism for a few years.

In 1993, he learned about a rapidly growing ice cream company, Ciao Bella Gelato. Henry jumped at the opportunity to go back into the business, hoping the supplier side would be the perfect fit.  It was. Initially working as the “utility infielder” (prep cook, asst ice cream maker, office manager, delivery driver), he quickly showed some skill talking to chefs at some of New York’s top restaurants. The owners of Ciao Bella kicked him out on the streets with a sample bag and a price list and Henry grew Ciao Bella’s sales from $350,000 in 1993 to $1.5 million in 1995. In the Fall of 1995,  the owners sent Henry to San Francisco to start Ciao Bella’s West Coast operations as the General Manager and partner. There he learned the entire business top to bottom. After growing Ciao Bella West to the leading ice cream purveyor to the restaurant trade in San Francisco, Henry headed back to New York. He landed a job as a bartender at the landmark Great Jones Café, but soon went back to the supplier side, joining the Brooklyn Brewery as Sales Manager for the Upper West Side of Manhattan. At that time, early 1999, the Brooklyn Brewery was the largest distributor of specialty beer in the U.S., selling world class beers such as Brooklyn, Sierra Nevada, Chimay, Duval, Chouffe, Young’s, Fullers, Paulaner and Schneider-Weisse, to name a few. 

In 2000, Henry was recruited to the Brewery Division as Operations Manager and then General Manager. He worked directly for Steve Hindy, one of the founders of the Brewery, and closely with Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn’s award-winning brewmaster.  During his time at Brooklyn, Henry also completed the Executive MBA program at NYU-Stern.

In July, 2002, Henry joined Millennium Import LLC, importers of Belvedere and Chopin Vodkas, as Director of International Marketing. On his first day at Millennium, it was announced that the company was being purchased by Louis Vuitton Moet-Hennessy. Henry’s job was to launch Belvedere and Chopin throughout the Moet Hennessy worldwide network.  By the end of 2004, Henry had logged 500,000 frequent flyer miles and launched Belvedere in more than 15 countries. Throughout these years, Henry continued studying Japanese at the Japan Society.  In 2000, Henry’s wife, Beth, took him to a Japanese restaurant he had never been to, Sakagura. Amazed by the sake list, sake program and the beauty of sake, he was smitten.  He started going to Sakagura more regularly, buying sake, reading every book he could find, subscribing to John Gauntner’s monthly newsletters and attending tastings. As his interest grew and more articles were published about the growth of sake, Henry began formulating his business plan. Inspired by the entrepreneurs he had worked for, he started thinking about starting his own company.

In December, 2004, Henry left Millennium and Moet-Hennessy and started Joto Sake LLC. He first met the owners of Yuki No Bosha, Kasumi Tsuru and Shichi Hon Yari in December, 2004. He incorporated in January, 2005 and the rest is, well, history.

Today, Joto Sake LLC imports from seven carefully selected sake breweries in most, but not all, of the major sake producing regions of Japan. The company is frequently approached by new breweries but maintains a very rigorous and disciplined approach to portfolio management. Joto Sake is also fanatical about packaging and educational. Our aim is maintain the authenticity of packaging and branding, while providing valuable information in English.  We hope that this website becomes a go-to resource for everyone interested in sake.

Please send us your suggestions and share our enthusiasm for sake, Japan and food.

Sakamai – Saké rice
Saké rice is planted in May or June and cultivated in August or September. Although there are no vintages for saké, there are “good years” and “bad years” for rice. Typhoons or excessive rain are the biggest enemies, but master saké makers can adjust to these conditions and produce saké of excellent quality.

Seimai – Rice Polishing
In the first stage of saké making, the brewers mill the rice to its heart in a process called seimai. Seimaibuai, or rice-polishing degree, delineates levels of saké. Milling the rice removes the fats, proteins and amino acides from the outside of the rice grain, leaving the starches at the center. The more the starch-filled center is isolated, the more elegant and refined the saké will be.

Senmai – Rinsing
The first layer of rice powder that is milled away is used for feed. As the rice is brown at the beginning, this powder is too. The powder produced from the next round of milling is used to make rice crackers, or sembe, and other food products.

After milling, saké makers rinse the rice to remove the powder that is left on the grain. At the same time, saké makers also soak the rice. This prepares the rice for the next stage, steaming. Depending on the type of rice and its milling level, rinsing and soaking are done with stop-watch precision, literally.

Jomai – Steaming
Saké rice is not boiled like table rice, but rather steamed in a koshiki. If the rice is not steamed enough, it will be too hard for the next step to go right. If it is steamed so much that the rice is mushy, then certain, necessary enzymes cannot be produced. After steaming, the rice is allowed to cool.

Twenty to thirty percent of the steamed rice is used for koji, while the remainder is mixed in with the koji rice at the beginning of brewing, or fermentation.

Koji Making
Koji making is the soul of saké making. The room in which the koji is made, the muro, is the heart of the brewery. So what exactly is koji? It is a mold that converts the complex sugars in rice into simple sugars. To make “koji rice,” the brewers sprinkle koji powder on a portion of the steamed rice.

Over the next forty-plus hours, they knead, wrap, unwrap, spread out, and cool this rice. By the end of the process, the rice is 100-percent simple sugar and has a white, frost-like coating. Its aroma is reminiscent of roasted chestnuts.

Moto or Shubo – The yeast starter
The names for the yeast starter, shubo and moto, meaning “saké mother” and “foundation” reflect the importance of this step. Essentially, the yeast-starter is a highly concentrated “mini batch” of saké, consisting of koji rice, water, yeast, and steamed rice. There are three ways to make the yeast starter, kimoto (the original way), yamahai (the second way) and sokujo (the modern, fast way).

There are also 50 different kinds of saké yeast, with 15 major types. Some were developed in certain regions, others by particular breweries; some yield light and refined saké, others bolder and more intense flavors.

San-dan shikomi – Three-step brewing
Once they have made this concentrate, the brewers start the fermentation process by adding these ingredients three times, multiplying the amounts by two each time. In this process, called shikomi, the koji rice goes to work on the remaining steamed rice, converting its starches into simple sugars in a process called “multiple parallel fermentation.” After this, the brew is on its way into fermentation, which takes eighteen to twenty-five days.

Moromi – Fermentation
After all this action of milling, rinsing, soaking, steaming, making koji, making the moto and brewing it in three stages, the brew begins fermentation. Although there is less active labor in this process, the brewers must repeatedly and precisely control this process. Fermentation takes 18 to 25 days and constant attention and adjusting.

Joso – Pressing
After fermentation, the kurabito, or saké makers, press the moromi. Most saké is pressed in a large accordion-like machine called a yabuta.

In a more specialized process, the kurabito fill cotton bags with the finished brew and then place the bags in a boat-like vessel called a funé. Freshly brewed saké then gently seeps out of the bags to a drain at the bottom of the funé. As it finishes draining, the saké makers gently press down with a flat lid that pushes out more saké.

In the most refined process, called shizuku, or “drops,” the brewers hang the cotton bags on bamboo poles and let the saké drip into a smaller tank. Shizuku saké is fresh, light, and elegant

Roka-Filtration and Bottling
After pressing, saké is filtered, pasteurized twice, and stored in bottles, or tanks to be bottled later. Saké is brewed from the beginning of October until the end of March and, generally, released six months after storage.

Taiheikai Tokubetsu Junmai
Taiheikai, meaning “Pacific Ocean,” was the original brand of the Huchu Homare Brewery when it was founded in 1854. The Yamauchi’s named their first saké after the Pacific Ocean, because Ibaraki is on the ocean, and the ocean an integral part of the region.

Although it is not made with Watari Bune rice, it shares in a certain house style—abundant but balanced fruitiness offset by light nuttiness and earthiness. The front label of this saké is a traditional back label, listing important information such as that listed below.

Region:Ibaraki
Rice: Gohyakumankoku
Yeast: Association #9
Seimaibuai: 55 %
Nihonshudo: +2
Acidity: 1.5
Shubo Method: Sokujo
Resting: 2 to 6 months in tank
Pressing: Yabuta
Pasturization: Once in bottle

Eiko Fuji Ban Ryu Honjozo

Ban Ryu means “ten thousand ways.”  It is an expression used in the sake world to answer the question, in how many ways is one sake different from another.  The answer, in 10 Thousand Ways: the yeast, the koji, timing of brewing, etc.,  It also means, more informally, “versatility.”  The brewery was trying to catch both meanings by naming this honjozo Ban Ryu or Ten Thousand ways, however, they passionately believe it can be enjoyed in 10 Thousand ways–chilled, warmed, hot, with light food, heavy food, sweet food and spicy food.

Serving Temperature: Slightly warm to warm
Region: Yamagata
Rice: Yamagata table rice
Yeast: Association #10
Seimaibuai: 65%
Nihonshudo: +1
Acidity: 1
Aminno Acidity: 1.2
Shubo Method: Kohon Tohka
Resting: 2 to 12 months in the tank
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: Paper filter to remove small particles
Pasteurization: Twice

Namazake Junmai Ginjo (year round nama)

Kaminiari, this sake is available year-round.  It is wonderful and each unconsumed sample bottle gets put to good use by after work research.  It is a year-round namazake, meaning that you do not need to wait until the spring to get it.  The brewery brews it, stores it at 5 degrees celcius and ships out as needed.

It has a wonderful nose–yeasty but fruity, revealing the first notes of green apple on the sake.  It is lush, light and creamy on the palate.  On the palate, the most immediate flavor is green apple, but immediately other flavors come in, rock candy, cotton candy, some banana and papaya.  It finishes with a touch of acidity

Region: Yamagata
Rice: Yamada Nishiki (hyogo-ken)
Yeast: Association #10
Seimaibuai: 50%
Nihonshudo: +3
Acidity: 1.2
Aminno Acidity: 1.0
Shubo Method: Kohon Tohka
Filtration: Paper filter to remove small particles
Pasteurization: None
Maturation: Varies by time, consumed as nama all year round

This junmai ginjo is a favorite with new and seasoned sake drinkers alike.  Technically qualifying as a daiginjo, with a seimaibuai of 50%, it is soft and light on the palate, with a delightful fruitiness characterized by peaches, strawberries and papaya.  It finishes with a white pepper spice.

Best served chilled, it complements light foods like salad, sushi and sashimi.  It also cools down spicey Asian foods.  It can also be paired with very salty or rich foods, as well as certain cheeses and desserts.

Region: Akita
Serving Temperature: Chilled or room temperature
Rice: Akita Sake Komachi
Yeast: Special House Yeast
Seimaibuai: 50%
Nihonshudo: +1.5
Acidity: 1.5
Amino Acidity: .08
Shubo Method: Sokujo
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: SF Filter
Pasteurization: Once

Akita Komachi means “beauty of Akita” and is both a reference to the fair ladies for which the region is known as well as its cherished local rice of the same name.

This daiginjo has upfront notes of white pepper that fade into dried apricot and melon. It should be served chilled and complements French and New American cuisine, as well as sushi and sashimi.

Region: Akita
Serving Temperature: Chilled or room temperature
Rice: Akita Komachi
Yeast: House Yeast
Seimaibuai: 35%
Nihonshudo: +2.0
Acidity: 1.5
Amino Acidity: 1.1
Shubo Method: Sokujo
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: SF Filter
Pasteurization: Once

Unlike most nigori, or cloudy sake, which is made from less expensive and lower quality sake, this nigori is a junmai ginjo with its base “brew” being a favorite among many.  It is also an “usu nigori” or “light nigori,” containing less rice solids, or kasu.  The brewery makes it light so consumers can really taste the sake.

This nigori is bright, lively and fruity but finishes dry.  Although not super chewy, it has a nice “meatiness.”  It’s texture is more prickly and lively on the tongue than milk-shaky.

Region: Akita
Serving Temperature: Chilled or room temperature
Rice: Akita Sake Komachi
Yeast: Special House Yeast
Seimaibuai: 50%
Nihonshudo: +1.0
Acidity: 1.5
Amino Acidity: .08
Shubo Method: Sokujo
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: SF Filter
Pasteurization: Once

Region: Akita
Serving Temperature: Room Temperature or warmed
Rice: Hitomibore
Yeast: House Yeast
Seimaibuai: 68%
Nihonshudo: +2.5
Acidity: 1.3
Amino Acidity: 1.0
Shubo Method: Sokujo
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: Charcoal filtration
Pasteurization: Pasteurized in tank, bottled while saké is still warm

Yuho sakes depart from the Ishikawa and Noto Hantou style of producing big, rich yamahais.  Yuho’s method is entirely sokujo.   Yuho sake is well balanced, with deep and layered fruity notes, however, it also reveals a lively acidity which gives the sake lots of umami.

Yuho Junmai

This junmai has a mellowed, settled fruitiness characterized by plums and dates.  Countering this, it has a wonderful acidity which comes through in the finish.

Food Pairings: Stews, grilled meats and fish, Italian food.

Serving suggestions: Wonderful chilled but possibly better when gently heated.  This reveals wonderful aromatics and reveals different nuances than when just chilled.

Region: Ishikawa
Rice: Gohyakumangoku for koji, Noto Hikari for brewing
Yeast: #9
Seimaibuai: 45% for koji; 55% for kakemai
Nihonshudo: +5.0
Acidity: 1.85
Amino Acidity: 1.5
Shubo Method: Sokujo
Pressing:
Filtration: Mesh to remove solids
Pasteurization: Once
Yuho Junmai Ginjo
This junmai ginjo has a gentle but yeasty nose and is light on the palate.

Food Pairings: Stews, grilled meats and fish, Italian food.

Serving suggestions: Wonderful chilled but possibly better when gently heated.  This reveals wonderful aromatics and reveals different nuances than when just chilled.

Region: Ishikawa
Rice: Tamazakea
Yeast: #9
Seimaibuai: 55%
Nihonshudo: +5.0
Acidity: 1.7
Amino Acidity: 1.5
Shubo Method: Sokujo
Pressing:
Filtration: Mesh to remove solids
Pasteurization: Once

Reminiscent of an earthy white wine, this Kimoto is a great accompaniment to sushi and cooked fish. Its muskier notes also make it perfect for pairing with cheese. It has an upfront aroma of mushroom but reveals a mellow smokiness on the palate.

Serving Temperature: Chilled
Region: Hyogo
Rice: Gohyakuman Goku
Yeast: Association #701
Seimaibuai: 67%
Nihonshudo: +5.0
Acidity: 1.3
Amino Acidity: 1.0
Shubo Method: Kimoto
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: Charcoal filtration and SF filter
Pasteurization: Plate heater, twice

Yamahai Ginjo
Smoky, earthy flavors mix with sweeter, fruitier notes in this warm and layered saké.  It is a wonderful accompaniment to cheese, shellfish, and grilled and smoked meats.

Serving Temperature: Chilled or room temperature
Region: Hyogo
Rice: Yamada Nishiki
Yeast: Association #901, Wakayama Koubo
Seimaibuai: 58%
Nihonshudo: +3.0
Acidity: 1.4
Amino Acidity: 1.1
Shubo Method: Yamahai
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: Charcoal filtration, SF filter
Pasteurization: Plate heater, twice

Yamahai Junmai

Serving Temperature: Chilled or room temperature
Region: Hyogo
Rice: Gohyakumangoku and Kitanishiki
Yeast: Association #901
Seimaibuai: 60%
Nihonshudo: +4.0
Acidity: 1.6
Amino Acidity: 1.2
Shubo Method: Yamahai
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: Charcoal filtration, SF filter
Pasteurization: Plate heater, twice

Shiboritate Namazake Genshu (seasonal)
Shiboritate means “just pressed,” Namazake means “unpasteurized” and Genshu means “undiluted.”  This seasonal sake is a perenniel favorite and for good reason.  It is lively, powerful and dynamic and can be enjoyed chilled and “neat” or served on the rocks.  The addition of ice “loosens up” the sake and reveals sweeter, nuttier notes.  It also makes for a fun, spring cocktail.  Served chilled and neat, this sake has great impact and a firm backbone.  Thick but not heavy or syrupy, just solid.  Delicious above all else.

Serving Temperature: Chilled or room temperature
Region: Hyogo
Rice: Gohyakumangoku
Yeast: Association #701
Seimaibuai: 68%
Nihonshudo: +1.5
Acidity: 1.7
Amino Acidity: 1.1
Shubo Method: Yamahai
Pressing: Yabuta
Filtration: Charcoal filtration, SF filter
Pasteurization: None

Technically qualifying as a junmai ginjo, this junmai is a great introduction to saké. It is earthy and mushroomy in the nose but reveals light, fresh notes of grapefruit and melon on the palate. Its structure is open and dynamic, its body light, its finish crisp and clean. It complements flavorful foods like cooked Japanese food and French or new American.

Serving Temperature: Chilled
Region: Shiga
Rice: Tamazakae
Yeast: Association #1401
Seimaibuai: 60%
Nihonshudo: +4.0
Acidity: 1.8
Amino Acidity: N/A
Shubo Method: Sokujo
Pressing: Fune
Filtration: Filtered to remove small particles
Pasteurization: Once

Shichi Hon Yari Junmai Ginjo

Serving Temperature: Chilled
Region: Shiga
Rice: Tamazakae
Yeast: Association #1401
Seimaibuai: 50%
Nihonshudo: +4.5
Acidity: 1.7
Amino Acidity: 14
Shubo Method: Sokujo
Pressing: Fune
Filtration: Filtered to remove small particles
Pasteurization: Once

This is a great Shizuku Junmai Daiginjo.

Serving Temperature: Slightly chilled
Region: Shiga
Rice: Tamazakae
Yeast: Association #1401
Seimaibuai: 45%
Nihonshudo: +5.0
Acidity: 1.4
Amino Acidity: N/A
Shubo Method: Sokujo
Pressing: Shizuku
Filtration: Filtered to remove small particles
Pasteurization: Once