HOLBROOK, Ariz. — Some of the world's best sake is being brewed in a place you might least expect: a small Arizona town along historic Route 66.
Atsuo Sakurai, originally from Tokyo, Japan, is the man behind Arizona Sake, an award-winning business that has earned international recognition for its traditionally Japanese beverage.
Sake is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice, and Sakurai has spent years perfecting his craft thousands of miles from his home country.
While living in Japan, Sakurai met his future wife, an American teaching English overseas. She happened to be from Holbrook.
"We were married in Japan, had three kids in Japan, all three of my kids were born in Japan, and then we moved here," Sakurai said.
After settling in Arizona, Sakurai decided to bring a piece of his Japanese heritage to his new home.
"Ten years ago, I started my own sake business," he said.
Sakurai began brewing in his garage, but slowly started to find success. In 2018, Arizona Sake became the only sake brewed outside Japan to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Sake Competition.
Sakurai is also recognized in Japan as a "first-grade sake brewer," a rare distinction for someone producing sake in the United States.
Despite the international recognition, Sakurai said winning awards was never his primary motivation.
"At the beginning of my business, my resolution was to make people happy with my sake," he said.
For Sakurai, the business represents something much bigger than making a successful product. It's his own version of the American Dream.
"The American dream is you work hard, and people respect what you are working hard for," Sakurai said. "It is not to be a millionaire or a billionaire."
From Tokyo to Holbrook, Sakurai has built a life, raised a family, and created an award-winning business in a place he never could have imagined calling home. Sakurai is also brewing a special sake to celebrate 10 years of business in the desert.
While his sake is brewed in Holbrook, you don't have to travel along Route 66 to try it. Arizona Sake is also sold in Flagstaff, throughout the Phoenix metro area and in Tucson.
