This Trailblazer Wants to Bring a Sake Trail to Arkansas

While Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail and Napa Wine Country are two regions beloved by travelers in search of America’s tastiest drinks, driving through Arkansas in search of sake hasn’t caught on quite yet.However, Ben Bell is hoping America’s growing interest in craft sake will eventually lead to an official trail in his home state.“For years I have dreamed about a sake trail in Arkansas that can be also be a gateway to our Delta region, where most U.S. rice is produced,” says Bell, director of content for the Sake Brewers Association of North America.Though Arkansas produces over 40% of America’s rice annually—generating an estimated revenue of $2 billion dollars per year—there are currently no sake breweries in the state. “For a decade,” Bell says, “I have been trying to make a path with sake, but perhaps I have gotten to the point where I can let that path guide me.”—Move over rosé, hard seltzer is the new drink of summer—Japan’s sake makers look to wine to define craft brews by region—To combat food waste, these Brooklyn businesses teamed up to brew bagel beer—Canned wines are on the rise and perfect for this summer.