Sake variants: 2022 in review
Our taproom has been open for just over six months now. In that time we’ve made about two dozen taproom-only sake. The names are generally sci-fi inspired, occasionally science-y, and sometimes resonate with us. We’ve been wondering if you’ve caught our references. For those of you keeping track, here’s what’s been on tap so far.
X-Series
X-series, our experimental batches that allowed us to test all our equipment, refine our recipes, and open the taproom.
Biodome
The fresh, green qualities of this sake made us think of the biodome in Silent Running (1972).
Home_colony
Our founder/brewer is from Maine. This is a nod to his roots.
Monsters Are Due
The Monsters are Due on Maple Street (1960), an influential early episode of The Twilight Zone, included this sake's influential ingredient. We couldn't pass up that connection.
Cherry 2000
Cherries saved the day here, just like the renegade tracker (Melanie Griffith) in Cherry 2000 (1987).
Dang!
While we love all the sci-fi inspirations, sometimes we're inspired by good conversations with our friends. This unusual--and winning!--combination came from a late-night chat with our friend Dan G, the artist who also made all our flight trays. Cheers, Dan, here’s a Pantone for you!
Home_colony_returns
One of the very few repeats on this list. Todd's source code was honored again.
Rakta
Star Trek nerds (like us) know that raktajino is a coffee drink favored by Klingons and others, as is evident on DS9.
Picked by Robots
When the days are long and we're running on fumes, "sounds spacey" is sometimes enough for us. That's the case here. Imagine robotic arms plucking delicate raspberries just for our use!
Lorelei Signal
Nichelle Nichols was an inspiration. This homage to her memory was named for a 1972 episode of Star Trek in which Uhura took command.
Floston Paradise
This riff on a piña colada made us think about vacationing on the space cruise ship in The Fifth Element (1997).
Another Orbit
Celebrating Todd's 50th birthday in a celestial way, we acknowledged his journey ‘round the sun with some of his favorite flavors (and a donut pop-up!).
Neon Dragon
This sake was made to pair with a ramen pop-up by our pals at Wooden Bar (Worcester). We immediately thought of the noodle place in Bladerunner (1982).
Atom Smasher
Inspired by a blackberry bourbon smash cocktail, we leaned "sciency" again with this name; although we didn’t miss that the DC character now known as Atom Smasher first appeared in the comics in 1983.
Autumn on Arrakis
Fall required pumpkin spice and we're Dune fans from way back--the books, the old movies, the new movie... all of it.
The Trouble with Bubbles
Our first carbonated sake lead us to a Philip K. Dick reference. The Trouble with Bubbles was first published in 1953 but it ripples through sci-fi... and modern life.
Moon Bog
Halloween and cranberries, both quintessentially New England, conjured up visions of cursed bogs. Not so coincidentally that's the reference: a cursed bog in Ireland as the setting of The Moon Bog (1926) by HP Lovecraft.
Hell Fruit
We dug deep for apple cider connections in our sci-fi cannon. We found it in The Hell Fruit (1953), a space opera about an addictive alien fruit.
Armageddon 2419
"Anthony Rogers" in the 1928 novella Armageddon 2419 is the first appearance of "Buck Rogers." A buck cocktail, which includes ginger and citrus, is the flavor inspiration for this flavored sake.
Fields of Sleep
We're always on the lookout for a specific flower or fruit reference. This one is a reference to a creepy early fantasy novel about people captive to an addictive flower. Fields of Sleep (1923) was first published as Valley of Silent Men.
Only a Paper Moon
Holiday flavors of vanilla bean and nutmeg reminded us of eggnog. Only a Paper Moon was a Deep Space 9 episode centered around everyone’s favorite Ferengi, Nog.
Glitterball
The last flavor of 2022 centered the flavors of Terry’s Chocolate Orange. That spherical treat reminded us of the alien sphere in Glitterball (1977), which was also from the UK.
There’s always something to try or revisit in the Medfield taproom. If you’ve missed out on these or can’t wait to see what’s next, stop by for a glass or a flight. Chat with us or friends. Play a game. Have a snack. And when you’re ready to go, consider taking some sake home in bottles or growlers. Cheers!
