Little Tokyo in East Village
Monday, March 8th, 2010We 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.
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)
We were delighted that our SAKAYA Sake Club drew the attention of Daily Candy which decided to include it in their 18 Last Minute Gifts list today. So far, the response has been an impressive demonstration of their pulling power!
Click here to see their site.

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)
October is an exciting month for sake enthusiasts. Nihonshu no Hi (Sake Day) on the 1st is when Japanese celebrate with Hiyaoroshi, the first release of once-pasteurized sake bottled in the spring. We’ll be offering two tastings for you to try it on its first availability in this country later in the month.
In the meantime, we’ll be reprising the popular Ume no Yado Yuzu-shu and Aragoshi Umeshu and debuting the new-to-our-shores Ninki ichi Junmai Ginjo on consecutive weeks.
Please join us for any and all as we celebrate the fall season at SAKAYA!
Thursday, October 1, 2009, 6-8pm
Sake Day Celebration Tasting
Saturday, October 3, 2009, 3-6pm
Daiei Trading Tasting
Umenoyado Yuzu & Umeshu (Nara)
Saturday, October 24, 2009, 5-7pm
Japan Prestige Sake Hiyaoroshi Tasting
Friday, October 30, 2009, 6-8pm
Japan Prestige Sake HiyaoroshiTasting
October 1st is Sake Day (Nihonshu no Hi) in Japan and we will be commemorating this most important of days with our second annual celebration at SAKAYA on Thursday evening, October 1 from 6-8PM. In the spirit of this auspicious occasion, the festivities will feature “ample samples” of a selection of six of our favorite sake imported by Japan Prestige Sake and Nishimoto Trading Company, embodying a set of distinctly different styles from across Japan.