Sake is the latest artisan beverage trend that's brewing in US

A new trend is brewing, and it isn't beer — it's sake.

The so-called Japanese "rice wine" that's been around for centuries is gaining popularity in the U.S. thanks to a growing number of craft breweries even as consumption is in decline in Japan.

There already are about a dozen craft breweries making or gearing up to make sake in North America, including Blue Current Brewing in Maine, the first craft sake brewery in New England.

Driving the trend is American consumers' interest in Japanese cuisine and locally sourced food and beverages. Blue Current's owner, Dan Ford, says he sees an untapped market and believes U.S. consumers will be sold once they give premium sake a try.