We are delighted to have been the subject of Eric Asimov’s column, “The Pour” in the Dining section of today’s New York Times today (7/28/10).
To read the article which also appears on the NY Times website click here.
It’s summer in the city and the temperatures are climbing so we’re focused on bringing you tastings of sake that offer refreshing respites from the heat and humidity as well as some new seasonal unpasteurized sake (namazake) that are sure to please the palate and slake the thirst…
Thursday, July 1, 2010, 6 to 8pm
Narutotai Ginjo Nama Genshu Sake (Tokushima)
Thursday, July 8, 2010, 6 to 8pm
Joto Sake Tasting
Ban Ryu Honjozo (Yamagata)
Saturday, July 17, 2010, 5 to 7pm
Light Sake for Summer Drinking
Kudoki Jozu Junmai Ginjo (Yamagata) and Sawanoi Junmai Ginjo (Tokyo)
Saturday, July 24, 2010, 5 to 7pm
Japan Prestige Sake Tasting
Summer Namazake
Saturday, July 31, 2010, 5 to 7pm
Asahi Shuzo Brewery Tasting
Dassai Sake (Yamaguchi)
With Summer just around the corner, our tastings for June offer opportunities to sample some great sake for warm weather refreshment …
Saturday, June 5, 2010, 4 to 6pm
Kotsuzumi Sake Tasting
Kotsuzumi Tokubetsu Junmai & Kotsuzumi Junmai Daiginjo (Hyogo)
Friday, June 11, 2010, 6 to 8pm
Chokaisan Sake Tasting
Chokaisan Junmai Daiginjo (Akita)
Friday, June 18, 2010, 6 to 8pm
World Sake Tasting
Dewazakura Omachi Ginjo (Yamagata)
Saturday, June 26, 2010, 4 to 6pm
Yuzu and Ume Sake Tasting
Ume no Yado Yuzushu & Umeshu (Nara)
This month will be busy for sake lovers with an abundance of sake tasting events in NYC. In addition to the nine tastings at SAKAYA, there is the Nishimoto Trading “The Best 100 Sake!” at EN Brasserie on Saturday, May 15, and the annual Japan Society sake lecture by sake expert extraordinaire John Gauntner and accompanying tasting on Wednesday, May 19.
Our lineup of tastings at SAKAYA kicks off with the latest of the exciting new spring seasonal namazake followed by a series of brewers visiting from Japan who will introduce you to their sake. After all the opportunities to explore so many this month, you’ll be sure to celebrate Memorial day with sake!
Saturday, May 8, 2010, 4-6pm
Japan Prestige Sake Association Namazake Tasting
Otokoyama Kasumi Junmai Namazake (Hokkaido), Gokyo Junmai Nama (Yamaguchi), & Urakasumi Tokubetsu Junmai Nama (Miyagi)
Thursday, May 13, 2010, 6 to 8pm
Fukumitsuya Brewery Tasting
Kagatobi Junmai Nama, Kagatobi Ai Junmai Daiginjo Nama, & Kuro Obi Doudou Yamahai Junmai (Ishikawa)
Friday, May 14, 2010, 6-8pm
Yumegokoro Brewery Sake Tasting
Naraman Junmai (Fukushima)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010 6-8pm
Imada Brewery Company Tasting
Fukucho “Moon on the Water” Junmai Ginjo (Hiroshima)
Friday, May 21, 2010, 6-8pm
Jokigen Sake Brewery Sake Tasting
Jokigen Junmai Ginjo (Yamagata)
Saturday, May 22, 2010, 4-6pm
Akita Seishu Brewery Sake Tasting
Dewatsuru Kimoto Junmai & Dewatsuru Hihaku Junmai Daiginjo (Akita)
Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 6-8pm
Shindo Brewery Sake Tasting
Gasanryu Honjozo (Yamagata)
April is sakura (cherry blossom) season. In Japan, people enthusiastically engage in the festive ritual of ohanami, viewing the cherry blossoms and gathering under sakura trees to picnic. Of course sake is an integral component of this annual celebration. With ohanami as the theme this month, we’ve chosen sake for our tastings for their floral aromatics which evoke spring and the sakura. We hope that you attend one of the Sakura Matsuri in the New York Metro Area and that you’ll find the right sake for your ohanami celebration at SAKAYA!
Friday, April 2, from 6 to 8pm
World Sake Imports Sake Tasting
Masumi Arabashiri Junmai Ginjo (Nagano)
Saturday, April 10, from 4 to 6pm
Ohanami Sake Tasting
Kamoshibito Kuheiji Junmai Ginjo (Aichi)
Saturday, April 17, from 4 to 6pm
Ohanami Sake Tasting
Jukusei Jozen Mizunogotoshi Junmai Ginjo (Niigata) & Umenishiki Junmai Ginjo (Ehime)
Friday, April 23, from 6 to 8pm
World Sake Imports Sake Tasting
Dewazakura Oka Ginjo (Yamagata)
Thursday, April 29 from 6 to 8pm
Joto Sake Tasting
Yuki no Bosha Junmai Ginjo (Akita) & Taiheikai Tokubetsu Junmai (Ibaraki)
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)
We were very happy to see the Daily News (1/24/10) include SAKAYA in their two-page spread shopping guide to Little Tokyo in New York’s East Village.
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.
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)
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