Sake (USA): The complete guide to American sake, sake breweries and homebrewed sake [Paperback]

Fred Eckhardt (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Fred Eckhardt Communications (1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0960630287
• ISBN-13: 978-0960630288
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #744,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Depth Technical Primer on How to Make Sake, March 15, 2009

By 

Lisa Shea "medieval swordfighting enthusiast" - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sake (USA): The complete guide to American sake, sake breweries and homebrewed sake (Paperback)

At over 200 pages, even though it was printed in 1992 Sake USA by Fred Eckhardt remains in such high demand that used copies go for quite a premium price. This is one of the only books on the English language market to talk in depth about how to brew sake.

This book is definitely the most technical of the books I own on sake. Where other books take a friendly, casual tone in helping you learn about the Japanese rice beverage, Sake USA is full of charts and graphs which can at times be hard to understand. On the other hand, this book has some GREAT photographs in it. You get to see a variety of sake set styles, and in depth pictures of how sake is made. A photo really is worth a thousand words!

For example you get to see photos of polished and unpolished rice side by side. You get photos of what the different stages of sake production look like, and some of the more famous breweries.

There are step by step instructions - with photos - to make your own sake, letting you know everything from how to cook the rice to how to handle the finishing. You even get instructions for making special flavored sake.

The Appendices are thorough in listing a glossary of terms, a bibliography, charts of conversion tables, and other helpful information.

This is a DENSE book and it doesn't even go into the traditional "fluff" that dates quickly, like lists of current bottles to drink, sake bars that are open, stores to buy sake in, or so on. Even though this book is from 1992, it is still completely useful. Anyone who wants to make their own sake definitely should get this book. Someone who wants an in depth look at how sake is made - including photos! - will be really happy with this.

The downside here is that it is written for that technical market. Casual readers who just want a "quick and easy primer to sake" probably want to go for one of the other books on the market with that aim. This book is for those serious about how sake is made, and it does its job well.