If your idea of sake has anything to do with shots of warm, rocket-fuel tasting beverage at a hibachi restaurant or sake bombs at the frat house, Darryl Vennard has news for you. For 25 years, the longtime wine and spirits professional has been setting the scene for a sake boom in St. Louis that has really taken off since 2020. In this episode of Arch Eats, George and Cheryl get the inside scoop on this surprisingly healthy beverage that is showing up on drink menus beyond the area’s Japanese restaurants thanks to its food-friendly characteristics. They also dispel several myths, including the notion that sake must be served warm. Whether you’re a sake aficionado or a curious newcomer, you’ll walk away with a newfound appreciation for this multifaceted beverage. Listen and follow Arch Eats on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever podcasts are available.

This episode is sponsored by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Don’t miss Playlist: Symphony Happy Hour, featuring a special spotlight on John Williams. Enjoy signature cocktails, conductor insights from Music Director Stéphane Denève and iconic music from Star Wars, E.T., and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Happening on March 19 at Powell Hall, inside the Jack C. Taylor Music Center. Get tickets.

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Mentioned in this episode:

• The Country Club Bar & Grill: 288 Lamp & Lantern, Town & Country, 636-256-7201
• Sweets by Sweet Waters: 10015 St. Charles Rock, St. Ann, 314-374-3307
• Fukucho Moon on the Water (bottled sake)
• Vine Connections
• Sado: 5210 Shaw, The Hill, 314-390-2883
• Kawatsuru Olive Junmai Ginjo (bottled sake)
• Bushido (canned sake)
• The Wine & Cheese Place: 195 Lamp & Lantern, Town & Country, 314-447-9463
• Taberu STL (Heidi Hamamura)
• The Fountain on Locust: 3037 Locust, Midtown, 314-535-7800
• Sasha’s Wine Bar: 706 DeMun, Clayton, 314-863-7274
• Sake Events:
  • Sake and Sakura, March 27
  • Japanese Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden, September 5-6
  • The Ritz Carlton-St. Louis, October 9
  • Goddesses of the Glass, March 9 and ongoing

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• More episodes of Arch Eats
• Shop Arch Eats merch