Sakaya NYC Blog

At the end of this month, the  much-anticipated  Masumi Arabashiri Namazake from Nagano arrives at SAKAYA and at selected restaurants in NYC.  An early spring seasonal unpasteurized sake (namazake is  unpasteurized sake), it has become a favorite of many of our customers and has won fans among sake enthusiasts and neophytes alike.

What is arabashiri?  In the latter stages of the sake brewing process,  the fermented  mash of rice, water, yeast and koji, called the moromi is  pressed to separate the liquid (sake) from the solids  (sake kasu).  This pressing portion of the process has three stages and the sake from each is earmarked for  separate bottlings.  Arabashiri is the first stage which yields a sake that has a bright, zingy, fresh taste.  Arabashiri is followed by Nakadori (middle stage) and Seme (the last stage).

We’ll also be featuring two exquisite sake, Kanbara “Bride of the Fox” Junmai Ginjo and Tentaka Kuni “Hawk in the Heavens” Junmai,  from  Hiroko’s recent six kura itinerary in northeastern Japan on March 12 and a tasting of one of Saga prefecture’s finest sake, Azumaichi Junmai,  on March 20.

We hope that you can join us for one or all of these memorable sake experiences!

Saturday, March 6, 2010, 4 to 6PM

JFC Importer Sake Tasting

Kotsuzumi Junmai & Junmai Daiginjo (Hyogo)

Friday, March 12, 2010, 6 to 8PM

Vine Connection Importer Sake Tasting

Kanbara Junmai Ginjo (Niigata) & Tentaka Junmai (Tochigi)

Saturday, March 20, 2010, 4 to 6PM

Azumaichi Junmai (Saga)

Friday, March 26, 2010, 6 to 8PM

World Sake Import Sake Tasting

Masumi Arabashiri (Nagano)

Who said February wasn’t an exciting month?  As a prelude to Valentine’s Day,  we have a tasting that pairs one particular sake with chocolate.  Talk about a love connection! Who knew that sake and chocolate could be a perfect match?  And speaking of love…for those who have a passion for the early spring seasonal namazake (unpasteurized sake), the wait is over.  We have a limited amount  of  these delicious hatsushibori in stock, and will be pouring them at two tastings to make sure that everyone gets a chance to try them.

Thursday, February 4, 2010, 6-8PM

Special Sake Tasting

Nakamura Brewery’s Akira Junmai (Ishikawa)

Saturday, February 6, 2010, 4-6PM

Sake with Chocolate

Dewatsuru Kimoto Junmai (Akita)

Saturday, February 13, 2010, 4-6PM

Japan Prestige Sake Association Namazake Tasting

Kamikokoro Tokagen (Okayama), Harushika Shiboribana (Nara), & Shutendoji Oh Oni (Kyoto)

Friday, February 19, 2010, 6-8PM

Japan Prestige Sake Association Namazake Tasting

Kamikokoro Tokagen (Okayama), Harushika Shiboribana (Nara), & Shutendoji Oh Oni (Kyoto)

As we begin the new decade we pause for just a moment to take one last look back at the past year to share with you the sake that our customers loved best.   Here without further ado, are the SAKAYA Top Ten best-selling sake of 2009…

10.  Jokigen Junmai Ginjo (Yamagata)

With its uniquely stylized label, Jokigen Junmai Ginjo has well balanced flavor of  rice and fruit with acidity.

9.  Ume no Yado Junmai Ginjo (Nara)

Rich and bold flavor with fruity aroma, solid and dependable Junmai Ginjo.

8.  Ume no Yado Aragoshi Umeshu (Nara)

A blend of sake and pureed plum, Aragoshi Umeshu has a mouthfilling plum flavor and a clean, refreshing finish.

7.  Yuki no Bosha Nigori (Akita)

Popular among nigori lovers,  this brew offers a delicate balance of sweetness with notes of strawberry and peach.

6.  Suigei “Drunken Whale” Tokubetsu Junmai (Kochi)

A dry sake that is perfect for drinking chilled or warmed.

5.  Narutotai Ginjo Nama Genshu (Tokushima)

Rich and powerful with slightly sweet taste,  this is a high grade unpasteurized, undiluted sake.

4.  Denemon Junmai Ginjo (Niigata)

Clean and delicate with peach and honeydew flavors, it has a good balance of fruitiness and acidity with dry finish.

3.  Dassai 50 Junmai Daiginjo (Yamaguchi)

The most reasonably priced Junmai Daiginjo on the market, Dassai 50 is slightly sweet with very clean finish.

2.  Ume no Yado Yuzu (Nara)

Who can resist the flavor of yuzu?  Ume no Yado Yuzu-shu was an instant hit when the product hit the store in early 2009.  It has very refreshing citrus taste, similar to lemonade.

1.  Kikusui Funaguchi Honjozo Nama Genshu (Niigata)

For the second year in a row, Kikusui Funaguchi  is as popular as ever.  It is a tasty rich sake in an unforgettable package.  This can goes everywhere and anywhere!

Happy New Year!  In keeping with our pledge to bring you the latest arrivals to the U.S., we begin our 2010 tastings with the very first seasonal namazake (unpasteurized sake) of the year and follow that with a brand new sake that has just become available in this country.   We wind up the month with some brews that when served warm are great for taking some of the bite out of mother nature’s frosty embrace and a couple of old favorites that pair wonderfully with hearty winter fare.

We look forward to seeing you at one of all of these SAKAYA tastings for a New Year’s  Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

Saturday, January 9, 2010, 4-6PM

Nanbu Bijin Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Tasting

Friday, January 15, 2010, 6-8PM

Japan Prestige Sake Association Tasting

Shirataki Jukusei Jozen Mizunogotoshi Junmai Ginjo (Niigata)

Friday, January 22, 2010, 6-8PM

World Sake Tasting

Kamoizumi Shusen “Three Dots” Junmai & Kamoizumi Summer Snow Nigori (Hiroshima)

Friday, January 29, 2010, 6-8PM

NY Mutual Trading Tasting

Take no Tsuyu Junmai (Yamagata) & Tama no Hikari Yamahai Ginjo (Kyoto)

Sake lovers might not want to miss the rare opportunity to taste Japanese dishes made using Dassai 23 sake kasu (the lees or solids that are left after the sake is pressed from the fermented mash).  On Tuesday, November 24,  a tasting at The Japanese Culinary Center will feature sake kasu-marinated black cod and chicken as well as a salmon sake kasu nabe (hot pot).  Attendees will receive a free package of sake kasu for at home use.

For more details please visit the Japanese Culinary Center website.

With Thanksgiving  just around the corner,  it’s that time again when the wine scribe community holds forth on the annual “what wine to drink with the big dinner” question.  Somehow, they always seem to land in the same Beaujolais, Zinfandel, Riesling neighborhood….hmmm.  We’ve pondered the question ourselves and, with a bit of a bias as you might suspect, came up with some different answers…

Dassai 39 Sparkling Daiginjo Nigori (Yamaguchi) — Every holiday begins with a kanpai/toast and this expressively effervescent sparkler which strikes the perfect balance between sweet and dry is not only a festive aperitif, but is also a great match with hors d’oeuvres to serve as you welcome your guests.

Akita Bare Suirakuten Junmai Daiginjo (Akita) — To complement your first course, serve this elegant, gentle, compact brew with a clean dry finish.  After tasting this sake, you’ll want to add it to your list of reasons to give thanks.

Sawanoi Kiokejikomi Kimoto Junmai (Tokyo) — For a sublime pairing with roast turkey, savory stuffing, and sides e.g. sweet potatoes, maple bacon brussels sprouts, etc., nothing beats this nutty, creamy, sake with its layers of  butterscotch and caramel flavors balanced with just the right amount of acidity

Housui Tokubetsu Junmai (Tokushima) – As an alternative or a second option for the main course, this aromatic, silky, slightly sweet sake’s peppery flavor and long finish also has the acidity to stand up to the richness of traditional Thanksgiving fare.

So, try sake this Thanksgiving.  You may find yourself  thanking the Japanese for something on this quintessentially American holiday.  Perhaps if all those wine writers did the same, they might come up with a new answer to the annual question.

Please come visit us for specific suggestions for sake ideas to match your menu.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Rick & Hiroko

The more familiar you become with sake, the more you come to find how many different approaches there are to making it.  While brewing a beverage from rice, water, yeast, and koji may seem relatively straightforward, there are an unfathomable number of variations on the basic method (if there is such a thing) used by brewers to create their own unique sake.  To add to your experience we’ve scheduled a variety of sake, each with its own “recipe” and story behind it.  Please join us to taste them and hear what was done to give them each their own distinct aromatics and flavor profile.

We look forward to seeing you!

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

Friday, November 6, 2009, 6-8PM

Yumegokoro Sake Brewery Tasting by Nobuo Shoji, the Exective Director

Naraman Muroka Junmai (Fukushiima)

Saturday, November 14, 2009, 5-7PM

Wataribune Junmai Ginjo Tasting (Ibaraki)

Friday, November 20, 2009, 6-8PM

JFC Importer Sake Tasting

Gassanryu Junmai & Ura-Gassanryu Honjozo Muroka Namazume (Yamagata)

Saturday, November 28, 2009, 5-7PM

Takaisami Tokubetsu Junmai (Tottori)

The following day’s brewery visit took me in a completely different direction, to Ozawa Shuzo in scenic Sawai, nestled among verdant mountains about two hours west of the city, but still in Tokyo prefecture. This time, a pleasant five minute walk through the picturesque village led me to my destination, the kura that brews one of my favorite sake, Sawanoi Kiokejikomi Iroha Kimoto Junmai.  My guides Kubo-san and his assistant were gracious and informative, making sure that I saw the cedar tank (kioke) used in making the aforementioned brew, the underground springs that are their two water sources, and a wall of koshu (aged sake) vintages dating back 20 years.

Another highlight of the visit was a perfect lunch at their fabled tofu restaurant perched serenely just above the rapids of the Tama River. As my server presented each in a series of delectable tofu dishes, I sipped from the flight of four Sawanoi sake that I had pre-selected while gazing at the natural beauty of the tableau spread out before my windowside table.  Even as rain began to fall, it only enhanced what couldn’t have been a more peaceful and relaxing experience!

Accompanied by our friend Melinda, I set out early the morning following the SSI awards event for Huchuhomare Shuzo in Ishioka, a small town in Sonoma-like Ibaraki-ken, about an hour and a half north by train from Shinjuku station in Tokyo.  On our arrival at Ishioka station, we were greeted warmly by the smiling shacho-san (brewery President) Takaaki Yamauchi.  As he drove us to his family-owned brewery, we discussed the local effects of the typhoon which had made landfall in eastern Japan the day before, destroying several older buildings nearby.  Fortunately, no harm had come to any of the inhabitants!  (Aside from high winds which temporarily shut down rail service, the much-anticipated typhoon had been a non-event in Tokyo).

Following a welcome of tea and sweets in the ancient reception room, Yamauchi-san led us on an intriguing tour of the kura.  We then tasted the full line of Wataribune nihonshu as he described the history of the brewery and how he had come to use the unique Wataribune strain of  sakamai (sake rice varietal) to make his sake.  It seems that a former high-ranking Ministry of Agriculture official who had retired to the locale, about twenty years ago suggested that Huchuhomare consider resurrecting the long-ago used pure strain.  Only problem was that all they could find was about 15 grams of seeds in the seed bank.  Not a lot to start a rice field with!  Nevertheless, they planted it, collected the seeds each year and eventually cultivated a sufficient supply for sake brewing.  The story came to life quickly as our next stop was that very rice field itself which surrounds our lunch destination, the homemade tofu and soba restaurant owned and operated by, you guessed it, the gentleman who brought Wataribune to Yamauchi-san!

To learn more about the wonder of Wataribune, read this.