美国国家公共电台 NPR Brewing In The Desert: Sake Finds An Unlikely Home In Arizona

 

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

You might not think sake is brewed¹ in America. But there is a brewery³ in Holbrook, Ariz., where a master brewer² from Japan set up his business. From member station KNAU, here's Aaron Granillo.

AARON GRANILLO, BYLINE⁴: Holbrook, Ariz., is like a snapshot of a bygone era. Kitschy diners, vintage motels and mostly mom-and-pop shops line the main drag through the city. Population 5,000 - zero Japanese restaurants. It wasn't the ideal place for Atsuo Sakurai to set up a sake brewery.

ATSUO SAKURAI: Arizona is, you know, last place to locate for me because it is really severe condition to live here and with business, I thought.

GRANILLO: But four years ago, Sakurai came here from Japan with his wife, a Holbrook native, to be closer to her family. That's when Sakurai established his company, Arizona Sake.

(SOUNDBITE OF DOOR OPENING)

GRANILLO: His brewing⁵ space is tiny - about the size of a cubicle⁶ - sealed off behind a door in his two-car garage.

You can already smell...

SAKURIA: Yeah.

GRANILLO: ...The sake.

SAKURIA: Sake, right?

GRANILLO: Sakurai learned to make the rice-based alcohol in his home country. He spent a decade working at factories in Japan, learning the ancient brewing methods.

SAKURIA: Smell like apple and pear and melon, like, very fruity. This is the original sake flavor.

GRANILLO: This is the original sake flavor?

SAKURIA: So I tried to save this flavor in my premium⁷ sake.

GRANILLO: Sakurai has passed a rigorous Japanese government exam, earning the highest title of first-grade sake brewer. When he ended up in Holbrook, he found brewing in the desert was a blessing⁸ in disguise.

SAKURIA: When I did a test batch⁹, I figure out, oh, the Arizona condition is really good to make sake.

GRANILLO: That's because the dry air provides less chance for molds to form during fermentation, a common problem in Japan's humid climate. Plus, the Holbrook tap water Sakurai uses comes from one of the best sources of groundwater in Arizona.

SAKURIA: That sake tasted, like, clear and pure and fantastic. Like, oh, here's really good.

GRANILLO: So good, he thought, Sakurai submitted a bottle to last year's international Sake Competition in Tokyo. He won first place in the overseas category. Kenya Hashimoto was one of the judges.

KENYA HASHIMOTO: (Through interpreter) Arizona Sake was well-harmonized and excellently balanced with the aroma¹⁰ and taste. I thought the sake was made using high skills.

GRANILLO: Sakurai says after he won the competition, orders started to pour in. He sells his sake to about 50 liquor stores and restaurants around the states (ph), including Karma Sushi in Flagstaff. Rebekah Kaufman just ordered a cup during happy hour. One sip¹¹, and her palate goes wild.

REBEKAH KAUFMAN: I'm getting almost like a little bit of pear. But it's really smooth. It's definitely not overly sweet. It's perfect. This is good.

GRANILLO: Atsuo Sakurai says he hopes one day people in all 50 states will enjoy Arizona Sake. And he insists it's not all about making money.

SAKURIA: My business is to get friendship or, you know, love or peace - like that I'm seeking.

GRANILLO: Sakurai knows he'll need to move out of his garage to grow. And he plans to do so. He just broke ground on a new commercial property a few blocks away from his home. For NPR News, I'm Aaron Granillo in Holbrook, Ariz.

(SOUNDBITE OF BONOBO'S "KERALA")

1 brewed   

调制( brew的过去式和过去分词 )； 酝酿； 沏（茶）； 煮（咖啡）

参考例句：

• The beer is brewed in the Czech Republic. 这种啤酒是在捷克共和国酿造的。
• The boy brewed a cup of coffee for his mother. 这男孩给他妈妈冲了一杯咖啡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 brewer   

n. 啤酒制造者

参考例句：

• Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。
• I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职，做一名酿酒人。

3 brewery   

n.啤酒厂

参考例句：

• The brewery had 25 heavy horses delivering beer in London.啤酒厂有25匹高头大马在伦敦城中运送啤酒。
• When business was good,the brewery employed 20 people.在生意好的时候，这家酿造厂曾经雇佣过20人。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

6 cubicle   

n.大房间中隔出的小室

参考例句：

• She studies in a cubicle in the school library.她在学校图书馆的小自习室里学习。
• A technical sergeant hunches in a cubicle.一位技术军士在一间小屋里弯腰坐着。

7 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

8 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

9 batch   

n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量

参考例句：

• The first batch of cakes was burnt.第一炉蛋糕烤焦了。
• I have a batch of letters to answer.我有一批信要回复。

10 aroma   

n.香气，芬芳，芳香

参考例句：

• The whole house was filled with the aroma of coffee.满屋子都是咖啡的香味。
• The air was heavy with the aroma of the paddy fields.稻花飘香。

11 sip   

v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量

参考例句：

• She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
• Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。