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Before ordering a bottle of sake with your next dragon roll, check the label — is it “Proper?” If so, congratulations.
You’ve just sipped sake that’s been completely brewed and produced in Tennessee. And for that, you can thank Byron Stithem, founder and brewmaster at Proper Saké. He’s been churning out some of the South’s best sake from a location in Music City’s Pie Town neighborhood — one of about 24 sake breweries in the entire United States. But as with all good things, the location’s time had run its course, and Stithem began looking to expand his production space and tasting room to a new Nashville neighborhood.
“This new space will not only allow us to grow our footprint nationally, but most importantly, it has given me the opportunity to build the bar of my dreams,” says Stithem. “It’s a little off the beaten path, but it has all of my favorite things — sake, Japanese sake, highballs,beer,records. Hopefully, folks find it as cozy and transportive as I do.”
It’s called Rice Vice, and inside, you’ll find the type of drinking den that TV characters Kelso and Fez would’ve felt right at home in — wood-paneled walls from the original locale, a refurbished chandelier from the 1970s, bright orange cushions placed along a wall-length banquette, vintage framed photos found at a local flea market, and a record player cranking out an assortment of vinyl (naturally). The perfect spot to hunker down with a few friends and sample some of the boozy liquid pouring from the eight lines on tap, two of which are dedicated to beer (a lager and ale), five for sake, and one carbonated line for the Japanese highballs on the menu.
But if the Nashville weather’s playing nice, the patio out front is a solid play, with stadium seating fashioned from wood, a Roman sail adorned with string lights for much-needed shade from the sunny elements, and low-slung tables with cushions for tatami-style feasting. Speaking of which, rumbling tummies have an assortment of snacks to stave off their munchies including cheese from neighboring The Bloomy Rind and a variety of dumplings. But the space also boasts a yakitori grill — Stithem says customers can expect a rotating roster of local guests manning the grill, including chefs from Alebrije and Kisser.
You can also find the full range of Proper Saké offerings here (including unpasteurized sake and the popu-lar Koji Gold beer), all of which are produced and distilled in the same property. A room in the back inocu- lates the rice with koji spores brought in from Japan, before fermenting in stainless steel vats and making its way to your glass. But if you’re looking to venture into more adventurous territory, Stithem is also offering sakes that can’t be found in the U.S., including Tamagawa, a sake brewery that prides itself on producing aged sakes that are unpasteurized, unfil- tered, and undiluted.
You can drop by the East Nashville space and sample some of its sake Wednesdays through Fridays from 4 to 11 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 11 p.m. (Rice Vice by Proper Saké, 3109 Ambrose Ave.; propersake.co)