Community Impact Newspaper
The alcohol evolution in Austin reached another milestone in December when Texas Sake Co., the state’s only sake brewery(1), re-emerged onto the market.
Once left for dead, co-owner Adam Blumenshein and business partners took over the fledgling operation on North Lamar Boulevard in 2014.
“All the equipment had already been disassembled to be sold, and at the last minute we came in and bought the whole company,” said Blumenshein, an Austin resident since 1993 who also operates Strange Land Brewery in West Austin.
Shortly after buying the company, he pulled all Texas Sake Co. products from the shelves and hired sake master brewer(2) Jeff Bell to lead production. The duo at first envisioned a local, organic sake that would appeal to craft brew loyalists, but the end product did not taste right, Blumenshein said.
Now using a California rice strain that originated in Japan, Blumenshein and Bell agree they have reached an ideal flavor.
“Now we’ve found sort of a middle approach that is inspired by tradition but not bound by it,” Blumenshein said….
Texas Sake Co.
A new beginning.
by Joe Lanane