He has paired it with Thai and Indian food, and even durian (which he recommends with the Junmai Daiginjo), and the drinks enhance the dishes. Currently, Normat sake can be found from the website Pivene.com, as well as some of the restaurants and bars the wine merchant supplies to. Peh aims to distribute the sake both regionally and globally.
The development of the sake embodies his renegade mindset of seeking originality by going “against the grain”. For example, Peh decided to use Kubiki’s proprietary yeast instead of yeast produced by the Brewing Society of Japan that would make the taste results more reliable. “However, this uncertainty also meant that the result would be fairly unusual, even one-of-a-kind,” he commented.
Another unconventional decision was to brew the Tokubetsu Junmai with the unusual blend of Gohyakumangoku (premium rice made for sake) and Tsukiakari rice (used by top sushi chefs), giving the drink its prominent umami.
In telling any story, there is the introduction, climax and ending. For Normat Against the Grain sake, the introduction is the backstory and the climax, the taste. What about the ending?
Well, a surprise ending lies in store for those eagle-eyed enough to peel away the label. Here, a doodle of a Ryuchi Sakamoto look alike character (Peh is a fan of the late-Japanese composer) is enjoying a cup of sake in two stages in life: One with a cap and the other with white hair.
This is Normat’s mascot, Mr N, which the press release portrays to be “an everyday man who continues to stay curious about the world around him, so that his life continues to be relevant and meaningful, regardless of age.” This might perhaps be the best way to describe Peh.
