Sakaya NYC Blog

Spring brings with it some great seasonal namazake (unpasteurized sake) and one of the most highly anticipated arrives in New York next week (the week of 3/21/10).   Masumi Junmai Ginjo Arabashiri from the  Miyasaka Brewing Company in Nagano will debut not only at SAKAYA at our tasting on Friday, March 26 (6-8PM) but also at two restaurant events where the brewer will pour and speak about their sake.    Don’t miss the opportunity to taste the Arabashiri and as well as the other fine sake from this legendary brewery!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Spring Surprise, sake tasting and dinner featuring Masumi sake

from 8 to 11pm

1 or 8 (66 South 2nd Street, Brooklyn)

$55 per person + tip

RSVP:  718-384-2152

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Sake Nouveau 2010, Masumi “Arabashiri” Kickoff Party

from 6 to 8pm

En Japanese Brasserie (435 Hudson Street)

$37 (including tax & tip)

RSVP:   212-647-9196

Friday, March 26

Masumi Arabashiri Tasting at SAKAYA

from 6 to 8pm

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.

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)

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.

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