Saké and Rain

Saké

Brewed like beer, but regarded by many as a sophisticated alternative to wine, saké is steadily gaining popularity in the United States.

This traditional Japanese beverage may seem like an odd fit for Oregon. But when you think about it, next to rice, the most important ingredient in this fermented alcoholic beverage is water — and we’ve got plenty of that. In fact, the founders of the only American-owned and operated saké brewery determined that the purest water in the world could be found on the eastern slopes of the Oregon Coast Range and chose Forest Grove for the home of SakéOne.

According to The Oregonian, “saké is the fastest-growing alcoholic drink in the country — and Oregonians consume a lot of it, falling just behind New York and California.” In addition to the 10-plus sakés produced locally by SakéOne, Portlanders enjoy an ample selection of imported sakés on offer in many restaurants around town.

SakéOne

If you haven’t yet joined the ranks of the converted, plan a visit to SakéOne, the only American-owned saké brewery (or “sakéry”) in the world. Here you’ll find a variety of styles — from premium ginjo to innovative fruit-infused — all crafted using the same traditional methods as in Japan. And, if SakéOne’s numerous gold and silver medals are any indication, all enthusiastically received by wine and spirits experts.

Located in Forest Grove, Ore., just 25 miles (40 km) west of Portland, SakéOne’s on-site tasting room is open daily, with complimentary tours given at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. One of the best times to visit is on Sakétini Saturdays, held from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month. That’s when staff members demonstrate how to make sakétinis (saké-based cocktails) and hand out take-home recipe booklets.

SakéOne
820 Elm St., Forest Grove, Ore.
www.sakeone.com

Where to Sample Saké

In addition to touring SakéOne in Forest Grove, saké connoisseurs can sip the beverage at a number of bars and restaurants in the Portland area. Saké meets its culinary match at the numerous local izakaya, establishments that serve small plates of traditional Japanese bar food in addition to saké and beer.

Biwa
215 S.E. Ninth Ave., Portland, Ore.
www.biwarestaurant.com

After living in Hokkaido for a year, chef Gabe Rosen realized a long-time dream by opening one of Portland’s most buzzedabout restaurants in 2007. Biwa serves a selection of about 20 sakés; flights allow easy sampling. The menu includes izakaya standbys like yaki onigiri (grilled rice ball) and karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken), as well as ramen and udon noodles and yakimono — grilled, skewered meats.

Syun Izakaya Japanese Restaurant and Saké Club
209 N.E. Lincoln St., Hillsboro, Ore.
503.640.3131 (no website)

Syun Izakaya, founded in 1998, is tucked away in an unassuming former library in downtown Hillsboro, 30 minutes from downtown Portland. Urbanites are more than willing to make the drive for Syun’s extensive saké selection, which — along with its sushi and sashimi — is arguably the region’s best. In addition, the menu includes some 70 appetizers to accompany the saké, available in sample flights, by the glass, or by the bottle.

Tanuki
413 N.W. 21st Ave., Portland, Ore.
www.tanukipdx.com

One of Portland’s newest izakaya, Tanuki is named for a mythological creature said to shape-shift at will to pursue women, wine, free meals and mischief. Japanese saké merchants and restaurateurs adopted Tanuki as their protective kami (spirits), often placing statues of the little fellows outside their establishments to indicate the good times to be had inside. Along with good times, a wide range of saké and beer are on offer at Tanuki, as well as top-notch Okinawan, Japanese and Korean pub fare. Add one more word to your Japanese vocabulary before you visit: omakase — it means “it’s up to you,” and promises an adventurous selection of dishes chosen by chef Janis Martin.

Zilla Saké House
1806 N.E. Alberta St., Portland, Ore.
www.zillasakehouse.com

The widest selection of saké inside Portland’s city limits can be found at Zilla Saké House, in the Alberta Arts District. Catering to savants and neophytes alike, Zilla’s staff is happy to make recommendations from the 40-plus varieties of saké on offer. A rotating cocktail menu offers more tasty ways to try saké, and sushi, sashimi and appetizers are also served.

Yuzu
4130 S.W. 117th Ave., Beaverton, Ore.
503.350.1801 (no website)

Behind a barely-marked storefront in a suburban shopping center is a remarkably authentic izakaya called Yuzu. Here, you might see Japanese salarymen, looking like they just ducked in from the streets of Tokyo, as well as chefs from local Japanese restaurants sipping saké and supping on all manner of small plates. The saké list isn’t too long, but includes some offerings that are hard to find outside of Japan. Yuzu also offers a respectable selection of shochu, the traditional distilled spirit that rivals saké’s popularity in many parts of Japan.

Rain

Ah, the mother of all liquids and life-givers. No discussion of liquids in Oregon is complete without some mention of rain. Portlanders have a particular affinity for their liquid sunshine — especially since it’s a base ingredient to many of the city’s favorite beverages. Portland has almost as many varieties of rain as it has beer: mist, light rain, showers and the occasional downpour, to name a few. Mother Nature sets Portland’s laid-back tone with her most common variety, the mellow shower. Washington Flyer magazine (July/August 2000) proclaims Portland’s rain is “half-hearted — sort of like those automatic fine-mist sprays that nourish veggies in the grocery stores — and [it] doesn’t impede outdoor activities.” The rain’s welcome presence is the key to our lush forests, verdant wine country and abundant gardens. As the weather changes, so does the personality of such places as the Portland Japanese Garden, where water droplets shimmer on sculpted shrubs and create rippled patterns on the koi pond. Of course, during a visit in summer or early fall, you’re likely to miss the rain altogether.