US brewers go for intensive sake brewing training in Japan

While many craft brewers and distillers working with beer, cider or other Western drinks learned their skills from a friendly and accessible home brew to small scale commercial community, sake brewers don’t have that option.

Alcohol production of any kind is strictly regulated in Japan and licences require a hefty minimum production volume of 60,000 kilolitres per year, although exceptions have been made to encourage craft beer start-ups and to allow small-scale production for educational purposes (e.g. at universities) or for drinks other than sake where there is a strong historical background of brewing in specific areas or “special zones” (such as doburoku production in the Tono region of Iwate) or for shrines and festivals. Licenses for this “miscellaneous alcohol” category only require minimum production volume of 6 kilolitres (6,000 liters) annually.

So what is an aspiring overseas sake brewer to do when they want to go beyond the basics they picked up from other amateurs? 

Reflecting the growth in sake breweries in the US, the Sake Brewers Association of North America (SBANA) started running the Advanced Sake Brewing Certification Course in 2023, where they take a small group of selected brewers to Gakkogura, the brewery school (inside a former school!) on Sado Island off the coast of Niigata Prefecture. 

Operated by Obata Shuzo, Gakkogura (学校蔵, literally “brewery-school”) was a primary/elementary school until 2010 when it closed due to population decline on the island. Obata Shuzo renovated the building and started using it as a second location and brewing school from 2014, running courses in the brewery off-season from around May to September.  

In keeping with the brewery’s focus on their local environment and community, their brewing courses require students to stay nearby on the island for the duration, using all local ingredients, and powered by environmentally friendly energy.

The SBANA course aims to go beyond readily available introductory level knowledge and give more advanced brewers invaluable experience of working with experienced professionals in a fully-equipped environment. Interpreting, provided by Justin Potts of Origami Sake and Shima Enomoto, ensures that nothing is lost to the language barrier. 

The brewing experience will also be book-ended by technical sessions (details to be announced) during the 2025 course dates, 20 Aug to 1 Sep. You do not have to be a member of SBANA to participate, but members benefit from reduced fees and can apply for financial assistance. Selection will by application and interview, and the course is limited to just four participants.

———-

References:

• SBANA press release (14 Feb 2025)
• Doburoku: From Illicit Homebrew to Legal Microbrew (SakeTimes, 28 Apr 2022)
• Obata Shuzo: “Gakkogura-School brewery” Project (not dated)