Sakaya NYC Blog

We’re tremendously excited that kuramoto from two well-known breweries have landed in NYC this week and will be offering samples of their sake to those fortunate enough to be able to stop by the shop the evenings of Thursday, May 15 and Friday, May 16.

Thursday, May 15 from 6:30 to 8PM

From Kamotsuru Brewery in Hiroshima, the brewery that invented Daiginjo sake 50 years ago, we are pleased to have their Sales Manager, Mr. Tamura and his associate Mr. Shobayashi with us to introduce their legendary Daiginjo as well as their structured, crisp Junmai Ginjo, and rich umai-laden Tokubetsu Junmai.

Friday, May 16 from 6 to 8PM

Kotaro Saito, the 5^th Generation President of the Saiya Brewery in Akita, makers of Yuki No Bosha Junmai Ginjo and Junmai Ginjo Nigori and Kattchou Gesseki Junmai Daiginjo will pour samples of these soft, fruity, yet flavorful sake.

Come visit us and experience the pleasures of the sake produced by these two dynamic breweries. We look forward to seeing you at SAKAYA!

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

Hard to believe it’s already May! One of the first celebrations of Spring, the Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is this weekend, May 3 and 4. Pick up your o-hanami sake at SAKAYA for your picnic under the sakura blossoms!

In Japan, May means Golden Week which is well underway. Golden Week is the collection of holidays that all fall in one week; Showa Day on April 29, Constitution Day on May 3, Green Day (Showa Emperor’s Birthday) on May 4, Children’s Day on May 5. It is one of Japan’s busiest holidays. If you are fortunate enough to be in Japan (or to be employed by a Japanese company), you have an entire week of time off from work to enjoy the beauty of Spring!

Although we don’t have Golden Week in the U.S., we do have a golden month of tastings blooming in May at SAKAYA.

Thursday, May 1: 6 to 8pm

Joto Sake Imports’ Namazake Tasting
Watari Bune Junmai Ginjo Nama (Ibaraki) & Eiko Fuji (Yamagata) Junmai Ginjo Nama

Wednesday, May 7: 6 to 8pm

Selections from Nishimoto Trading
Kudoki Jozu Junmai Ginjo (Yamagata) & Denemon Junmai Ginjo (Niigata)

Saturday, May 17: 2 to 4pm

Sake Samurai & Urbansake.com‘s Tim Sullivan Tasting

Saturday, May 24: 2 to 4pm

Selections from Niigata Sake

Saturday, May 31: 2 to 4pm

Futkumitsuya Brewery (Ishikawa)
Kagatobi Junmai Ginjo & Kagatobi Cho Karakuchi

Please join us to sample these golden brews. We look forward to seeing you at SAKAYA!

Kanpai!

We are very fortunate to have just scheduled a visit from Mabuchi Keizo, from Tamano Hikari, the brewer of the tasty Junmai Daiginjo “Brilliant Jade.”  Keizo-san will be pouring his nihonshu from 6 to 8PM on　Thursday, April 24.

Founded in 1673, this Kyoto brewery produces this extremely well-balanced brew made from the distinctive Omachi pure rice strain,  featuring its unique flavor and a clean, crisp finish.

Please note that due to this addition to our tasting schedule that our “Dramatically Different Daiginjo’s” tasting has been shifted from the evening of Friday, April 25 to Saturday, April 26 from 2 to 4PM.

We look forward to seeing you for one (or both) of these tastings at SAKAYA!

Kanpai!

SAKAYA

324 E. 9th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenue)

NYC  10003

212.505.7253 (SAKE)

For many April means enjoying the cherry blossoms (o-hanami) or opening day for baseball (yakyu) season. At SAKAYA it also means a month filled with great sake tasting events! Leading off our April schedule is an all-star line-up of brewers along with leading sake expert and “Sake Handbook” author (and our mentor) John Gauntner. We are honored and incredibly fortunate to have these esteemed icons of the sake world visit SAKAYA to share their brews and their knowledge.

We will also continue to welcome the latest wave of Spring namazake (unpasteurized sake) releases as they arrive, introduce more of the terrific brews from the World Sake portfolio, and wind up the month with a tasting focused on the dramatic differences that exist among some stellar super premium (Junmai Daiginjo/Daiginjo) grade sake.

Saturday, April 5: 2pm to 4pm
Yasutaka Daimon, President and Toji (master brewer) of Daimon Brewery (Osaka) will pour Tozai “Well of Wisdom” Ginjo and “Voices in the Mist” Ginjo Nigori. Joining us at the same time will be Ozaki-san, President of Tentaka Brewery (Tochigi) who will be sampling Tentaka Kuni “Hawk in the Heavens” Junmai as well as their “Silent Stream” Junmai Daiginjo.

Saturday, April 5: 6pm to 8pm
We are excited to have leading sake expert and “Sake Handbook” author John Gauntner here to share his wisdom along with Miho Imada, President of Fukucho Brewery (Hiroshima) who will be pouring her Fukucho “Moon on the Water” Junmai Ginjo. We are also delighted to have with us Mr. Sudo, President of the famous Sudo Honke Brewery (Ibaraki) to share samples of his Sato no Homare “Pride of the Village” Junmai Ginjo.

Monday, April 7: 6pm to 8pm Mr. Niichiro Marumoto, President of Chikurin Brewery from Okayama will be pouring Chikurin Fukamari Junmai, Karoyaka Junmai Ginjo, and Hou Hou Shu sparkling sake.

Saturday, April 12: 2pm to 4pm
Otokoyama Brewer from Hokkaido

Thursday, April 17: 6pm to 8pm
Andrew Richardson from World Sake Imports

Saturday, April 19: 2pm to 4pm
New Spring Release Namazake Arrivals from Japan Prestige Sake Imports

Friday, April 25: 6pm to 8pm
Rick’s selection of “Dramatically Different Daiginjo’s”

Keep checking our website “Events” page for updates and more details on these upcoming in-store tastings and please join us. We look forward to seeing you at SAKAYA!

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko
SAKAYA
324 E. 9th Street (Between 1st & 2nd Ave.)
New York, NY 10003
212.505.SAKE (7253)
www.sakayanyc.com

Why not blaze a new beverage path and drink sake with Easter dinner this year! We’ve come up with seven sake to precede and accompany the traditional Easter meal.

Start things off with a fresh, lively unpasteurized sake as an aperatif to excite and prep the palate. Ichinokura Namazake (Miyagi) or Eiko Fuji Namazake (Yamagata) pair perfectly with crudites with Wasabi-Mayo dip and light finger snacks like edamame or classic deviled eggs.

When you move to the table for the main menu, the fruit and subtle sweetness of Chiyomusubi Tokubetsu Junmai (Tottori) or Nanbu Bijin “Southern Beauty” Tokubetsu Junmai (Iwate) , or the full flavored well-balanced acidity of Kagatobi Yamahai (Ishikawa) are all great complements to the salty, smokey, and sweet flavors of traditional brown sugar and mustard glazed ham.

Recommended sake-friendly side dishes such as arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette, steamed asparagus with chopped hard boiled egg drizzled with olive oil, sauteed artichoke hearts, and/or cucumber sushi rolls won’t be in supporting roles when paired with the citrusy notes Tsukinokatsura “Yanagi” Junmai Ginjo (Kyoto) or silky, smooth Shimeharitsuru “Jun” Jumai Ginjo (Niigata).

Kanpai!

Wasabi-Mayo Dip

1/2 cup Kewpie Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon wasabi paste
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients together. Serve with crudites.

We are delighted to have Ms. Sachiko Toshioka from the Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery in Ishikawa prefecture visit SAKAYA on Friday, February 22 from 6 to 8PM to offer guests a sampling of Kagatobi sake. Long before opening our store, we fell in love with the Kagatobi brews and therefore are particularly excited to have Toshioka-san here to share them with you!

Please join us for this special event to kick off your Friday evening.

Looking forward to seeing you at SAKAYA…

Kanpai!

SAKAYA

324 E. 9th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenue)

NYC 10003

212.505.7253

Our schedule of weekly tastings for February will engage your senses with a spectrum of sake ranging from those that induce romantic notions to sake lovers’ perennial harbingers of Spring, the Hatsushibori Namazake (Spring-released unpasteurized or “draft” sake).

Friday, February 8, 6 to 8PM

Let the romance begin with the first of our pre-Valentine’s Day weekend samplings of suggested sake to sate your significant other’s thirst for an exquisitely crafted love potion. Onodera-san, of importer Wine of Japan, will offer the delicately floral Ume no Yado from Nara and the soft, smooth, Beni Mansaku (“in full bloom”) from Hiroshima to put your palate “in the mood.”

Saturday, February 9, 2 to 4PM

Sake Sommelier Chizuko Niiwaka of Sakagura, which serves NYC’s largest selection of sake, and also most recently, of New York Magazine fame will be on hand to offer her expertise as she pours her Valentine’s Day sake recommendations including Yuki no Bosha Junmai Ginjo from her native Akita prefecture, Hanatomoe “Flower Petals” Junmai Ginjo from Nara, and the pink-labeled Dassai “Otter Fest” Nigori from Yamaguchi.

Friday, February 15, 6 to 8PM & Saturday, February 16, 4 to 6PM

They’re here! Come sample the fresh, lively taste of the Spring namazake (unpasteurized sake) releases from Japan Prestige Sake; the light, smooth Koshi no Homare “Shiboritate” Junmai Nama Genshu from Niigata, Okayama’s unique Kamikokoro “Tokagen” Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Genshu made with white peach yeast, and rich, flavorful Shutendouji “Oh-Oni” Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu from Kyoto. Learn how they come by their unique flavor profiles from importer and Sake Master, Kazu Yamazaki and JPS Executive Director, Mariko Yamazaki.

Thursday, February 21, 6 to 8PM

It’s the day before Washington’s Birthday and by George, we’ve got it when it comes to some fascinating sake for you to try from importer, The Jizake. If you haven’t tasted a Kimoto sake, this is a prime opportunity to experience Daishichi Junmai Kimoto “Classic” from Fukushima prefecture, one of the premier examples of a type of sake made “the old fashioned way!” Sake Sommelier Yoshihiko Takao of The Jizake will be on hand to discuss what makes Kimoto so special and to pour another of their tasty brews that we’ve just begun to carry, Chiyomusubi Tokubetsu Junmai from Tottori.

Please join us for any or all of these sake explorations. We look forward to welcoming you to SAKAYA and hope to see you soon!

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

SAKAYA

324 E. 9th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenue, closer to 2nd)

NYC 10003

212.505.7253 (SAKE)

www.sakayanyc. com

Interrupt your regular routine this chilly last week inJanuary with something that is certain to brighten it considerably…a special tasting of a selection of sake from the esteemed Hakkaisan brewery in Niigata.

We are honored and delighted to be visited by Hakkaisan’s Ms. Kuniko Kurosawa this Wednesday evening, January 30 from 5 -7PM when she will be pouring their “Eight Peaks” Honjozo, Ginjo, and Junmai Ginjo (as well as a mysterious “surprise” sake).

We apologize for the last minute notice, but knew that you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to meet Kurosawa-san and taste some of these prized nihon-shu from one of Japan’s most highly regarded breweries! Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow evening here at SAKAYA!

Kanpai!

SAKAYA

324 E. 9th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues, closer to 2nd)

NYC 10003

212.505.7253

Instead of the usual beer, chips, and pizza, shake up your Super Bowl Party by serving a new brew…sake! Sake may be for sumo you say, but the Super Bowl? Of course! Wine-not! After all, there’s an historical association between Rice and the Super Bowl going back to the days of Jerry and the 49ers. (Ouch! Sorry about that!)

Here’s our recommended game plan…

Kickoff with a light, easy (as in Eli) Miyasaka Yawaraka Junmai with a bowl of boiled sea salt-dusted edamame.

If you’re a Brady fan, you may want to go with the clean, heroic notes of Sougen “Pride of the Samurai” Junmai along with some micro-waved frozen shumai and/or gyoza.

Warm up for the Second Half with some warmed up sake like Kamoizumi Shusen “Three Dots” Tokubetsu Junmai or Tengumai Junmai Yamahai. These are perfect with smoked, rich, robust dishes…think sausages of any sort or a hearty lamb or beef stew.

Or, maybe you just bring out the big guns for your feast with one (or more) of our 1.8 liter ishoubin of food friendly sake Otokoyama “Man’s Mountain” Tokubetsu Junmai or Okunomatsu Ginjo.

Whatever your Super Bowl plans might be, come visit us at SAKAYA for some ideas to put a new spin on the menu (and what to drink with it) for this year’s game.

Kanpai!

SAKAYA

324 E. 9th Street (near 2nd Avenue between 1st and 2nd)

NYC 10003

212.505.7253

Visitors to SAKAYA may be familiar with Kikusui “Chrysanthemum Mist” Junmai Ginjo from Niigata, the beautiful, compact sake in the distinctive ice blue bottle. It has been a favorite of many customers (and us too) since we opened.

We learned today that Mr. Daisuke Takazawa, the President of Kikusui brewery would be in town and are honored to have him and his associate Mr. Endo Takeshi joining us to conduct a special tasting of his sake tomorrow evening, January 22 from 6 to 8PM.

Please join us for this special event!