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The craft saké bar Rice Vice is now open in East Nashville.

Why it matters: There's a craft brewery in pretty much every Nashville micro-neighborhood you can think of. But Proper Saké is the city's lone saké brewery, and one of just 24 in the country.

Driving the booze: Stithem is a fermentation nerd who came up through the ranks of Nashville's restaurant scene before launching Proper Saké.

What he's saying: Stithem tells Axios his vision for Rice Vice was to create the "bar of my dreams" that reflects his drinking experiences in Japan.

Details: The launch of Rice Vice and revival of the Proper Saké brewing operation was as DIY as it gets. The bar is located at 3109 Ambrose Avenue, a mostly industrial strip off East Trinity Lane.

Flashback: Proper Saké closed its previous Pie Town tasting room in the spring of 2020 just as Stithem was hunting for a new, expanded location.

What's next: Stithem says he has two of his four brewing tanks up and running. The goal for the rest of the year is to ramp up production and begin bottle deliveries, which will be available in 48 states.

If you go: Rice Vice is open at 4pm Wednesday through Friday and at 1pm on Saturday and Sunday.

👋 Nate and Adam's take:

The intrigue: We first became Proper Saké regulars in 2018. The unique menu drew us in, but the warm, laid-back vibe kept us coming back.

Editor's note: Nate and Adam became friendly with Stithem by way of a weekly happy hour tradition.

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