If you follow Dragons’ Den on CBC Television, you know most business pitches are flights of fancy that haven’t been carefully thought through. The Dragons quickly set about picking holes in the business models of each, generally resulting in Arlene Dickinson playing good cop to Kevin O’Leary’s bad cop.
Hare-brained as some pitches are, it is hard not to admire the courage of those willing to risk all on an idea they created and believe in. It is a sad reflection on society that we tune in to watch millionaires crush these aspiring entrepreneurs.
If the show has a redeeming quality, it is that there is usually one pitch each episode where the Dragons perk up and pay attention to an original and promising business idea. Hope springs eternal.
Masa Shiroki never went on Dragons’ Den, but had he done so he surely would have stolen the show.
Laid off from his B.C. government job in 2001, Shiroki embarked on a new career as an importer, educator and distributor of Japanese sake. Recognizing demand for quality sake and local products was popular, he used his severance package to finance the 2007 startup of Artisan Sake Maker on Granville Island in Vancouver. Here he set about making artisan sake, using Canadian water and imported sakamai (sake rice) from Japan.
Unlike most startups, Artisan Sake Maker showed a profit in its first year. Local sommeliers and foodies quickly glommed onto the idea of local sake and its food-pairing possibilities. Novelty only goes so far, however; the real test came in blind tasting competitions and, more importantly, consumer sales.
That’s no mean feat considering most consumers, and plenty of oenophiles, are unfamiliar with sake.
Often called “rice wine,” sake is not really wine at all. Indeed, it has more in common with beer, insofar as starch is converted into fermentable sugars. But any commonality ends there — sake involves several complicated processes unique to it alone.
First, sakamai is milled, polishing away between 35 and 80 per cent of the rice grain, depending on quality level. It is then washed and soaked before being steamed in large vats. Then comes the secret ingredient — koji. Scientifically known as aspergillus oryzae, koji is a magical mould sprinkled on sake rice, creating enzymes that break down starch to produce glucose. Water and yeast cells are then added to the mixture to create a starter mash known as shubo (“mother of sake”). After festering for a couple weeks the mixture is moved to a larger tank in which more rice, koji and water are incrementally added to create the main fermentation mash, moromi. The batch then ferments at cold temperatures in large steel tanks for several weeks, stirred daily to help oxygenate the mash. The moromi is then pressed to separate liquid from solids, followed (usually) by filtration and pasteurization before bottling.
Complicated, yes. But making sake is only half the battle; growing the rice is another thing altogether.
Building on his initial success with imported Japanese sakamai, Shiroki set about growing his own organic rice here in B.C. After some experimentation, he eventually cast his seed in a soggy field near Abbotsford in 2011.
The first crop was a failure, but it produced suitable seed for planting the following year. The 2012 crop had several close calls, too, but nature ultimately co-operated and, in the end, Shiroki was able to produce the first true Canadian sake made from organic rice grown in B.C.
Unfortunately, limited production of this newly released product, Osake — Fraser Valley Junmai Sake, means that, for now, it is only available at Artisan Sake Maker’s small shop at 1339 Railspur Alley on Granville Island. Hopefully, production will expand and it will soon appear on the shelves of Victoria’s independent stores, alongside these other Artisan Sake Maker products:
Osake — Junmai Nama
375 mL, 15 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV), $16
Sake comes in a range of styles. Akin to medium white wine, Junmai Nama is light, crisp and easy drinking, with flavours of melon, pear and lemon citrus. Try pairing with salads, light fish, or tangy cheeses.
Osake — Junmai Nama Nigori
375 mL, 14 per cent ABV, $18
Cloudy and creamy, this sake has character and rusticity, with a hint of sweetness. As such, it matches well with spicy chicken and pork dishes, as well as creamy cheeses.
Osake — Junmai Nama Genshu
375 mL, 18 per cent ABV, $22
This substantial dry sake is rich and complex with fragrant notes of tropical fruit, apple skin and cucumber. Match with red meats, duck, and strong cheeses.
Osake — Junmai Sparkling Sake
500 mL, 13.5 per cent ABV, $24
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, try sparkling sake. Crisp and effervescent with notes of melon, pear and a hint of anise, it complements shellfish, smoked salmon and light cheeses.
Note: Artisan Sake Maker products are available at Signature B.C. Liquour stores and select independent retailers in Victoria. Prices vary.
