All guides
Guides
Researched from Japanese-language sources — brewery sites, label regulations and the shops themselves. Each one carries the date we last checked it.
- Sake · Retailers
Palate Project (formerly Tippsy Sake): what actually changed in 2026
Tippsy Sake became Palate Project in 2026 and cancelled its old Sake Club. Almost every English guide still describes the old company. Here is what is real now.
- Sake · Basics
Junmai, ginjo, daiginjo: what sake grades actually mean
The eight legal sake designations, what the polishing percentage really tells you, why added alcohol is not cheating, and how to read a Japanese label in about a minute.
- Whisky · Buying
Is your Japanese whisky actually Japanese? How to check before you spend $200
For years, bottles made largely from imported Scotch could be sold as Japanese whisky. The 2021 standard fixed that — partly. Here is exactly how to tell what you are buying.