Route 66 Sake: Japanese Tradition Meets Navajo Ingredients in Holbrook

Atsuo Sakurai and his wife Heather operate a sake production facility in Holbrook, Arizona, where they blend Japanese brewing techniques with local Navajo ingredients.

Located just off Route 66, the shop, named Arizona Sake, produces the fermented rice beverage in a 200-gallon vat. Sakurai, who is from Tokyo, a distance of approximately 6,000 miles from his current location, worked in the sake industry in Japan before establishing his business in Arizona. He stated that he initially dreamed of starting a sake manufacturing business somewhere in the world.

Sakurai noted that customers are frequently surprised to learn the product is made in Arizona. "Oh, yeah. Initially, nobody believed," he said. Heather Sakurai is a member of the Navajo Nation, and the couple integrate their respective cultural backgrounds into their products. One specific variety of sake incorporates Navajo tea, a local plant. "Navajo tea, Navajo tea sake. This is Navajo tea itself, a plant," Sakurai explained.

The production process involves washing and heating rice in baskets before transferring it to vats for fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, the liquid is extracted under pressure, a method Sakurai compares to pressing mash. The entire process, from raw rice to finished bottle, requires approximately three months of hands-on labor.

The couple’s products have secured awards in competitions in Japan and other international markets. While they produce traditional styles of sake, some unique creations are sold exclusively at their Holbrook shop. Sakurai described the aroma of certain varieties as resembling pear or blueberry. A customer who sampled the beverage identified a distinct flavor of prickly pear. "Oh my God, I can really taste the prickly pear. This is about as Arizona as it gets," the taster said.

Sakurai views the slow, manual nature of the work as a source of peace in an era dominated by automation and artificial intelligence. He expressed a desire to preserve this type of traditional industry, drawing a parallel to the impact the interstate highway system had on businesses along Route 66. When asked if Arizona Sake would still be in operation in 100 years, Sakurai responded, "Hopefully."

The shop continues to produce small batches of sake, maintaining the traditional Japanese method while utilizing regional plants to create distinct flavor profiles for both local and international markets.