Navajo tea meets sake in Arizona

Atsuo Sakurai produces sake in a small workshop along Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona.

The beverage is a traditional Japanese alcohol made from fermented rice. Sakurai has been in the industry for years, originally working in Tokyo before moving to the United States. He opened Arizona Sake to fulfill a long-held dream of starting a manufacturing business. The shop operates in a 200-gallon vat, a scale that surprises many customers who do not expect to find such a product on the American Southwest route.

Sakurai stated that people are frequently shocked to learn the origin of the drink. “Oh, yeah. Initially, nobody believed,” he said. He moved from a city approximately 6,000 miles away to establish the business. His goal was to create a specific type of manufacturing operation in a new location. The process involves washing and heating rice in baskets before placing it in vats for fermentation. Once the liquid is ready, workers press it like a mash to extract the alcohol.

The production process is slow and manual. Sakurai noted that it takes about three months to produce a single bottle from start to finish. He prefers this hands-on method over automated systems. “That kind of business, industry, I want to save,” he said. The slow pace allows for careful attention to detail, which he believes defines the quality of the final product. The shop remains a local hub for this specific style of alcohol.

The brand blends Sakurai’s Japanese heritage with his wife Heather’s Navajo background. Heather is from the Navajo Nation, and the couple incorporate cultural elements into their recipes. One specific variety uses Navajo tea, a local plant. “Navajo tea, Navajo tea sake. This is Navajo tea itself, a plant,” Sakurai explained. This mixture creates a unique flavor profile that distinguishes the product from standard sake styles.

Arizona Sake has received awards in competitions in Japan and other international venues. Some creations are exclusive to the Holbrook location. The aromas are often described as pear or blueberry. During a tasting, one visitor identified a distinct flavor of prickly pear in one of the varieties. “Oh my God, I can really taste the prickly pear. This is about as Arizona as it gets,” the taster said. The drink offers a tangible connection to the local environment while maintaining traditional brewing techniques.

The shop operates in a region where transportation infrastructure has previously altered local commerce. Sakurai expressed confidence in the longevity of his venture. When asked if Arizona Sake would exist in 100 years, he answered, “Hopefully.” The business continues to serve customers who visit the shop off Route 66 to taste the locally produced alcohol.