How to make sake: set up shop as close as possible to a water spring, and select a good quality rice. Polish each grain, then wash the rice, soak it, steam it, cool it, and sprinkle with koji. Add water and yeast, let it ferment. Control the temperature to speed up or slow down the fermenting process. Repeat for 21 days, and taste, taste, taste. Add alcohol or don’t; filter it, or don’t; add water or don’t, then pasteurize it, or don’t. Set it aside, and then mix, filter, pasteurize, or none of the above. Bottle.

A huge thank you to Dominique and Keith for their explanations, and to the entire Miyasaka family for their warm welcome.