Japanese Sakè (sah keh) made in the high country of northeastern Arizona by a Tōji/master Sakè…read morebrewer from Yokohama, Japan seems like a mirage in the dry, arid, high desert in an area known more for Navajo Native American culture than creation of East Asian libations. On the return trip to see the total solar eclipse in Dallas, I went on I-40 to visit various iconic Route 66 towns on the Mother Road, Holbrook being one of them. I called Arizona Sakè around 8am as I was approaching Holbrook to see if I could get an appointment and got a prompt text message saying that Arizona Sakè would be ready for me at my eta at 9:30am. Atsuo Sakurai (ah tsoo oh · Sah koo rah ee) is the mastermind behind Arizona Sakè who has created a rare type of Nama/unpasturized Sakè (sah keh) that still has active probiotic yeast left from the fermentation process as his chef d'oeuvre/masterpiece since it won best in class at the Los Angeles International Wine Competition and gold in the Tōkyō Sakè Competition 2018 for Sakè made outside of Japan. His technically well finished yet unorthodox Sakè definitely has unique flavours with roots in northern Arizona that will go well with American BBQ, steaks, game meats, hamburgers, hot dogs, and I would suspect Navajo cuisine. At the same time, I can see a pairing with red meat Sashimi like Hon Maguro & fatty cuts like Toro & Hamachi. Be ready to sample about 3 different Sakè: 1) Junmai Ginjo Class, Nama, "The Premium One": Nama means raw, uncooked in Japanese which in this case means unpasturized. That means that the Kōbo/yeast & Kōji/special mold, which help change starch into alcohol, are still active to help add more beneficial flora into the digestive system. Refrigeration is suggested to keep the Sakè fresh. Rich, smooth sweetness yet touch dry with bit of ripe pear & apple along with toasty, light nuttiness balanced by a bit of refreshing acidity. It's a pleasing, robust Sakè that will definitely pair well with American Barbecue or meaty, beefy hamburgers. 2) Navajo Tea Sakè I Googled Navajo Tea and learned that it is the desert plant known as greenthread. The greenthread stems in the bottle add an unmistakable high desert vibe to this Sakè. Faint cherry blossom, green plum. Sweet, smooth, earthy toastiness. I paired Taiwanese Lobster with heavy hoisin sauce, garlic, red chiles, and it went well. 3) Herbs & Bitters: Cinnamon, French thyme, musky, earthy, touch smoky, apple pear cider. Really went well with Carré d'Agneau/lamb chops marinated in rosemary, garlic, cracked black pepper. 4) Prickly Pear Sakè: Bright magenta colored!!! Smooth, fruity, may be the best for preprandial apéritif to whet the appetite before start of the meal. Or as a chilled sipping Sakè. Arizona Sakè's big, bold flavours may not always pair well with classic Japanese Èdo Maè Sushi nor Sashimi. But can handle California Sushi where mayonnaise, Sriracha garlicky chile sauce, and extra sweet "eel sauce" hold reign. Also, Japanese Tempura, Nimono/ soy sauce braised cooking would work well. Arizona Sakè's strength lies in being great with non-Japanese cuisines such as other Asian cuisines, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Italian, etc. Arizona Sakè is definitely worth a detour when in northeast Arizona. 5 stars for a unique Sakè experience found no where else in the Sakè universe. Btw, hope that you found Chateau Roumier, Sauternes, 2020 to be of interest for your sophisticated palate.

While on a road trip thru Holbrook, AZ we got to visit the space and with the master sake brewer…read morehimself and did a tasting of the sakes he creates. Apart from truly an "A winning Arizona craft sake" experience- meeting the brewer himself was pretty awesome. The sake he crafts is smooth and with unique flavors to represent the diversity of the state and its flora (Navajo Tea, Prickly Pear...). More cool info and bio of the master sake brewer featured in the Smithsonian magazine and NPR.

Walked into the address listed on the trail unit C and it was a dump. After stopping at several of…read morethe other AZ distilleries which were awesome this one was not a tourist stop and a huge disappointment.

Great customer service and the products are amazing all of their spirits taste really really good!…read moreGood people and local.

Nice spot in Sedona to have a drink and a smoke. We stop in to catch some sun and enjoy the great…read moreweather. The media manager did a Instagram video of me smoking. That's the high spot. The service for drinks was slow. I'm not sure what was the delay on every drink with only 10 people drinking. The ambiance is great. The drinks are okay. The Old Fashion's are a little bitter however we can adjust that by request. Still worth stopping in for a place to have a cigar.

Amazing and stunning view of Sedona. Smaller outdoor seating space, but the view is unbelievable.read more

Went here on vacation in Pinetop AZ and was told we could sample outside of tasting times because…read morethey were slow that day. Nice atmosphere. Their Trachard Syrah is very good, if you like hearty reds. Tony was a gracious host!

Nice, local place. Driven by here countless times and since I don't drink, I never thought to stop…read more Thirteen of my "closest" friends (we all hike together) decided to give place a try. Honestly, didn't disappoint. One gentleman in the front of the house, taking orders, serving drinks & food. He was quite masterful. He not only took care of our group, but took care of all the other customers. I wasn't able to take pictures of everyone else's lunch, but I only heard good things. Lunch is served only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I can't speak for their services, but I'm sure it's on their website. If you're looking for a good light lunch, check it out.

I highly recommend this tour company! Ed was an amazing guide and we loved our winery tour for my…read morefriend's birthday. Ed was knowledgeable and flexible and we enjoyed his company. We had a great time! If you are into hiking and other outdoor activities, Ed can give you all the infornation you need. We appreciated the insight. However, I strongly suggest you disregard any recommendations for Dahl and Diluca restaurant. That place has abhorrent service and couldn't care less about patrons. If you want to enjoy good vibes, take this winery tour...and avoid Dahl and Diluca if you want to maintain your good headspace and be treated with respect! ;)

I don't know where to begin with how awesome Jim and this tour were!…read more Accommodating doesn't begin to describe Jim - and there is nothing that he cares more about than ensuring you have the best time possible and we seriously couldn't have had a better day. When Jim tells you this tour is custom to you, he's not kidding - just tell him what wines you like, don't like or even if you want to change it up to accommodate your husband (who doesn't drink a lot of wine) and add a brewery stop, done! He makes it happen and everywhere we went was absolutely wonderful. And did I mention he made it a dog-friendly tour?! Every stop (except for one we specifically requested) was dog-friendly - and at the one that wasn't, Jim walked our little guy while we did our tasting. Seriously, everything about this tour was above and beyond. Jim's knowledge of the area and the wineries demonstrates how much he loves what he does and you can tell the wineries and local businesses really appreciate him too. I cannot recommend Jim and his company more! He has several tours to pick from or he'll happily work with you to create one just for you. If you're heading to the Sedona area, this is a must-do!!

Took a trip to antelope canyon and horseshoe bend with them…read more Rocky made the trip fun and very informative throughout the whole trip. Learned a lot about AZ Flagstaff the Navajo reservation. He always kept us informed of our itinerary and kept us on schedule without feeling rushed and allowing us to enjoy our journey. We even had a picnic style lunch. Plenty to go around. I'd use them again in the future.

Our tour guide, Sam, was a wealth of knowledge.... Geology, hiking trails, national parks, river…read morerafting, night sky and the list goes on. Our first stop was Antelope Canyon / Lower Slot Canyon. Once we descended into the canyon, we were in awe and took pictures at every turn. Our Navajo tour guide, Eli, shared the history of the canyon as we walked through the canyon. Highly recommend visiting during low season (January/February) to enjoy Mother Nature creation. Next stop was Horseshoe bend followed by lunch at Glen Canyon Dam. Long day but well worth it.

Well organized, clean and pleasant from making the reservation check-in, waiting area and the tour…read moreitself. We had "Andrew" for our guide and he was informative, courteous and pleasant to be hosted by. Took various photos for us using our mobile phones which was nice. They have various tour options which I think will fit most anyone's interest and fun level.

We booked the Antelope Canyon and Grand Canyon Horsebend tour from Sedona. We were ready for a…read morelong day since the drive to Page was about three hours. They picked us up from our hotel, made several stops including clean bathroom breaks and couple gift shops. Overall, the tour was amazing. Although we only spent 45 minutes at a horseshoe Bend, we were able to take some awesome pictures and walk around. But definitely the highlight was Antelope Canyon. You can only go on a tour here with the Navajo guide and our guide Ray was fantastic. We spent about 1.5 hours at lower Antelope Canyon. He really made the tour fun, informative, and he took the best pictures. The photos do not do it justice. The experience was just unreal. Each term that we took we were in awe. The downside was our tour guide Brandon. Although he was very friendly, he didn't seem that knowledgeable. Maybe he was having an off day but there were a couple times that he stopped mid sentence while telling a fact and even ended a fun fact with blah blah blah to finish up his sentence. At one point, he even started chewing on a candy or something while hooked up to the microphone. This was really annoying. We still had a very great day just a couple things that didn't make it a five star experience. Did you have a lot of options for tours and their office is located centrally in the uptown area.

It was a nice relaxing cruise. We had a couple of margaritas and enjoyed the narrative and scenery…read more I would recommend this cruis.

The staff were friendly and courteous from the boarding and throughout the entire trip. Captain…read moreJack (..Sparrow, as I call him) was very friendly and knowledgeable...fantastic job of narration during the trip. Loved it!

Barry was the best very knowledgeable and flexible with our tour. What ever we were interested in…read morehe would take us. He never rushed us or worried about time. Would definitely call him again for a wine tour!

Barry is THE BEST!! His deep knowledge and passion, gave us the most authentic tour of Sedona with…read moreVortex teachings and instructional guidance to experience for ourselves. Topped it off with a delicious wine place in town called the Art of Wine with the owner. He is hands down the best tour operator and guide I've ever met. Don't skip this tour in Sedona!