Sake (USA) comprehensively covers sake in the United States. It is divided into three books: Book One, History, Lore, and Traditions; Book Two, Sake in America; and Book Three, The Art of Making Jui. The book also includes many useful appendices.

In Book One, the author explains the traditions, ceremonies, and rituals associated with sake in Eastern culture. Sake is traditionally consumed in ways other than heated. This section explains the typical methods of sake consumption.

We are all aware of the antiquity of brewing, and the brewing of sake variations in Eastern culture is no different. In fact, some Eastern cultures were taxing alcohol around 140 B.C. Some things never change.

For those interested in learning how commercial sake is made, this section describes the commercial brewing process. Although sake is a rice beer, the brewing process is very different from that of beer as we know it.

Book One also describes the different types of sake. It was interesting to find how many types of sake are available. When I first got into brewing, I thought beer was beer. The more I got into brewing, the more I found out how wrong I was. Now I find the same truth in sake.

Japan is experiencing a microbrewery revolution similar to the one in the United States, only in Japan the revolution is in sake brewing. These products are known as country sakes. As Japan relearns to appreciate the qualities of sakes that are crafted at a small scale, fine sake products are becoming available in the United States. Book Two presents the past and future of American sake brewing, which dates back to 1902. Since then, there have been 36 sake breweries. Of those, only 7 are currently in operation.

The history of sake breweries gives a feeling for how sake production in the United States has evolved. The book lists information about currently operating sake breweries and their products. It also provides location and tasting and/or touring information for prospective visitors. Of the 7 active sake breweries, 5 are in California, 1 is in Oregon, and 1 is in Colorado.

Book Three, on the art of making jui, was the most interesting and beneficial to me. Ingredients become your finished product, and knowing what and how they contribute to the finished product is important. The information presented in this section gives present and future sake makers the knowledge needed to make decisions about what and how to use the ingredients.

Compared with making beer using all-grain methods, making sake is probably no more complicated. It does, however, involve a lot more steps. Unlike beer brewing, the sake brewing process takes about one month to get to the main fermentation. About 100 days have passed by bottling time, and then the sake must age for a couple of months before drinking.

Some days, many things must be done, each of which needs to be done at a certain interval. The author not only outlines the steps in an easy-to-understand manner, he also describes the methods he uses to keep track of the process, methods designed to remind you where you are and what you need to do next. This is very helpful because, as in making beer, the sake making process can be confusing until you've been through it a couple of times. Experimenters will appreciate the small section included on alternative sakes and possible variations in the process. Commercial brewers don't often tread in these areas.

Included in the book are seven appendices, some of which deal with sake rating and judging. These sections help acquaint readers with the styles and teach about the things that are looked for in a sake. One device for learning to make high-quality sake, as with beer, is to find a commercial example that you like or wish to duplicate, and then work toward producing it. These sections can help you learn the characteristics of processes and ingredients and how to manipulate them to achieve your goal. If you have no intention of trying to make your own sake, the discussion will at least allow you to learn the flavor components of sakes and their classifications.

Sake (USA) is well written and presents information that you won't find in one source anywhere else. The book is well footnoted for those who wish to delve deeper into some of the topics. As one who both enjoys and makes sake, I feel that this book is informative and useful from either perspective. The book fills a real void in the sake literature, and I appreciate the author's willingness and ability to share the information with the rest of us.