The Insider's Guide to Sake - Couverture souple

Anyone who has ever been to Japan has probably fallen under the spell of a soothing cup of sake at one time or another. An encounter with Japan's favorite libation is bound to be memorable, yet despite its growing popularity worldwide, information on this eminently drinkable beverage remains scarce.
Written by a British expatriate who has spent more than seven years brewing sake in the exacting traditional method, The Insider's Guide to Sake is the consummate introductory handbook. It unravels the history and intricacies of this exotic drink, and provides an extensive list of restaurants and retail outlets in Japan, the United States, and Europe where the beverage in all its variety can be found. In The Guide you will discover over 100 sakes for all tastes and pocketbooks, tips for beginners and connoisseurs alike, and a knowledgeable explanation of the brew-master's skills. Labels and specs for each selected sake are displayed in a concise, easy-to-follow format.
Whether you are a gourmet, a wine lover, or just enjoy the occasional thirst-quencher, The Insider's Guide to Sake offers a fascinating, broad-ranging introduction to this compelling refreshment-in a refreshingly compelling manner.
Features
* firsthand, authoritative information
* slim, portable size (to use at restaurants or retailers)
* slips easily into bag, pack, or briefcase
* handy "cheat sheet" helps you select the best sake
* all types of sake discussed
* labels deciphered
* sake-tasting tips
* regional sake map
* sake sites on the Web

Philip Harper came to Japan in 1988 as a participant in a Ministry of Education program that placed native English speakers in public schools. In the course of three years' teaching, he contracted sake fever after encountering premium ginjo sake for the first time. Fascinated by the complexity of flavors of the beverage, and by the traditions of the sake world, he started working nights in a specialist sake bar. In 1991, he joined the brewing staff of Ume no Yado, a small, traditional brewery in Nara Prefecture. Since then, he has spent every winter working from before dawn until after dusk (and during peak periods long into the night) in the centuries-old pattern of brewery life, apparently the only non-Japanese member of this insular industry.

In the off season, Harper resumes his sampling of the offerings of Japan's seventeen hundred breweries, and periodically writes or lectures on sake. His articles have appeared in the Mainichi Daily News, Kansai Time Out, and the Japanese tea-ceremony magazine Tanko, among other publications.