Kampai! For the Love of Sake

An engaging documentary with broader entertainment appeal beyond just sake connoisseurs, Kampai! For the Love of Sake tells a tale of three masters of this famous Japanese beverage. Filmmaker Mirai Konishi begins with a general introduction to today's broad international enthusiasm for the drink—which is made from fermented rice—noting how both a knowledge of sake and a surge in small brewers have grown in recent years. Viewers will see scenes at sake conventions, classes, and tastings, after which Kampai! begins to focus on a trio of men making a difference in sake culture. Cleveland native John Gauntner, a writer and renowned expert on sake, serves as a consultant to wine sellers, and teaches master classes to emerging brewers. Philip Harper, a British iconoclast who grew up in Cornwall, spends most of his time running a major sake-making operation in Japan. Finally, ebullient Kosuke Kuji is a fifth-generation brewer who ran afoul of good taste after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima when he produced a YouTube video—violating the spirit of a national ban on advertising following the tragedy—encouraging people to buy his product. Gauntner, Harper, and Kuji all have interesting stories to tell about how sake became the centerpiece in their lives, and for those interested in just how sake is made, the film offers plenty of material about the proper way to wash, cook, and cool the rice before fermentation begins. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)