Sakaya NYC Blog

Our exciting lineup of  tastings in May includes visits from Miho Imada, the toji (master brewer) from Imada Brewing Company, producer of Fukucho sake and Nobuo Shoji, President of Yumekokoro Brewery which makes Naraman Muroka Junmai.

We also continue our “Drink Sake to Help Japan” series with more super sake from the Tohoku breweries in the earthquake and tsunami zone.  Please join us in showing your support for these brewers and their local economies by spreading the good word about their sake.

Saturday, May 7, 2011, 5-7pm

Fukucho Tasting

Fukucho Moon on the Water Junmai Ginjo & Biho Junmai Ginjo (Hiroshima)

Saturday, May 14, 2011, 5-7pm

Drink Sake to Help Japan

Okunomatsu Tokubetsu Junmai (Fukushima) & Hoyo Genji Tokubetsu Junmai (Miyagi)

Thursday, May 19, 2011, 6-8pm

Yumegokoro Brewery Tasting (Fukushima)

Naraman Muroka Junmai

Saturday, May 21, 2011, 5-7pm

Drink Sake to Help Japan

Urakasumi Junmai (Miyagi) & Ichinokura Himezen Junmai (Miyagi)

We are honored  to be collaborating with Wall Street Journal Wine Columnist, Lettie Teague in a special  JapanNYC event at Carnegie Hall on Thursday, March 31 at 7:30pm.    A lively dialogue discussing the parallels and contrasts between premium sake and fine wine will be followed by a tasting of four terrific sake all for an incredibly reasonable $20.

Please see the Carnegie Hall site for details.  We hope to see you there!

We know that Spring is just around the corner because the hatsushibori (early Spring release namazake) has arrived!   In fact the theme of our March tastings could be new arrivals since both  Yuki no Bosha Junmai Yamahai and Kozaemon Tokubetsu Junmai are two of the most recent additions to our selection of premium artisanal nihonshu.

Saturday, March 5, 2011, 5-7pm

Joto Sake Import Sake Tasting

Yuki no Bosha Junmai Yamahai (Akita)

Friday, March 11, 2011, 6-8pm

Spring Namazake Tasting

Tokagen Tokubetsu Junmai Nama (Okayama) & Harushika Shiboribana Junmai Ginjo Nama (Nara)

Saturday, March 19, 2011, 5-7pm

Japan Prestige Sake Association Sake Tasting

Tokagen Tokubetsu Junmai Nama (Okayama) & Harushika Shiboribana Junmai Ginjo Nama (Nara)]

Saturday, March 26, 2011, 5-7pm

JFC Sake Tasting

Kozaemon Tokubetsu Junmai (Gifu)

Happy New Year!   Our somewhat abbreviated  tasting lineup this month features two sake that we believe are deserving of greater attention than they generally receive.   We hope that you’ll visit us to sample them and discover their unique charms.

Saturday, January 8, 2011, 5-7pm

Nagaragawa “Tenkawa” Junmai Ginjo (Gifu)

Saturday, January 15, 2011, 5-7pm

Sake Hitosuji Junmai Ginjo (Okayama)

We also wanted to note that SAKAYA will be closed from January 25 to February 4 while we take our first vacation since we opened in December 2007.    We hope that you’ll plan to visit us before (or after) at your convenience.

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

With the Holiday Season kicking into gear and our 3rd Anniversary coming up, we’ve tastings aplenty this month to help inspire you with holiday gift ideas.

Friday, December 3, 2010, from 6 to 8pm

Joto Sake Import Tasting

Seikyo Omachi Junmai Ginjo & Seikyo Junmai (Hiroshima)

Saturday, December 4, 2010, from 5 to 7pm

Sake and Chocolate Tasting

Kagatobi Junmai Ginjo (Ishikawa) & Ume no Yado Umeshu (Nara)

Dark Chocolate and Sake Chocolate Truffle by Xocolatti

Friday, December 10, 2010, 6 to 8pm

SAKAYA 3rd Year Anniversary Party

Saturday, December 11, 2010, 5 to 7pm

SAKAYA 3rd Year Anniversary Party

Friday, December 17, 2010, 6 to 8pm

World Sake Import Sake Tasting

Tedorigawa “Kinka” Daiginjo Namazake (Ishikawa)

Saturday, December 18, 2010, 5 to 7pm

Vine Connection Sake Tasting

Sato no Homare “Pride of the Village” Junmai Ginjo (Ibaraki)

Although  Fall officially started in late September, for us  it is the arrival of  Hiyaoroshi, the autumn seasonal namazake that truly ushers in the season.  In the next month we’ll be offering the full complement of  available Hiyaoroshi at two of  our tastings as well as a visit from our friend Mr. Yageta from the Fukumitsuya Brewery in Ishikawa and a first-time tasting of a delicious sake made from the usually-reserved-for-shochu black koji .

Saturday, November 6, 2010, 5-7pm

Hiyaoroshi Sake Tastings

Kikusui Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi & Urakasumi Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi

Friday, November 12, 2010, 6-8pm

Fukumitsuya Brewery Sake Tasting (Ishikawa)

Kagatobi Junmai Ginjo & Kuroobi Do Do Junmai Yamahai

Saturday, November 20, 2010, 5-7 pm

Japan Prestige Sake Association Sake Tasting

Sawanoi Junmai Hiyaoroshi & Wakatake Onikoroshi Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi

Saturday, November 27, 2010, 5-7pm

Black Koji Sake Tasting

Kurokabuto Junmai Daiginjo (Fukuoka)

After we kick off the month with our third annual Sake Day celebration, October becomes “Akita Sake Month” at SAKAYA.  We want our sake enthusiast friends to learn more this region where so much great sake is produced so we’ve partnered with the Akita Prefecture Tourism Office to dedicate this month’s tastings to familiarizing you with a few of these delicious brews.

Once you’ve tasted their sake, you’ll most likely want to visit the source!

Friday, October 1, 2010, 6-8pm

Sake Day Celebration

Saturday, October 2, 2010, 5-7pm

Saiya Brewery Tasting

Yuki no Bosha Junmai Ginjo & Yuri Masamune

Saturday, October 9, 2010, 5-7pm

Kodama Brewery Tasting

Tenko Junmai Daiginjo

Saturday, October 16, 2010, 5-7pm

Akita Seishu Brewery Tasting

Dewatsuru Junmai Kimoto

Saturday, October 23, 2010, 5-7pm

Asamai Brewery Sake Tasting

Ama no To Tokubetsu Junmai

Saturday, October 30, 2010, 5-7pm

Hinomaru Brewery & Tenju Brewery Sake Tastings

Manabito Junmai Daiginjo & Chokaisan Junmai Daiginjo

October 1st is Sake Day (Nihonshu no Hi) in Japan and we’ll be celebrating with our third annual party at SAKAYA on Friday evening, October 1 from 6-8pm.  The festivities will feature “ample samples” of a selection of six of our favorite sake from World Sake Imports, embodying a set of distinctly different styles from across Japan.

With Labor Day behind us, the Fall season unofficially begins.   Our September schedule begins with two tastings this week highlighting dramatically different sake from opposite ends of Japan.  We’ll then debut a new nigorizake from Akita and last, but not least we’ll have a TBD visiting brewer (or brewers) pouring their new offerings…

Thursday, September 9, 2010, 6 to 8pm

Sake Story Imports Sake Tasting

Housui “Fragrant Water” Tokubetsu Junmai (Tokushima)

Saturday, September 11, 2010, 5 to 7pm

Shindo Brewery Sake Tasting

Ura-Gasanryu “Koka” Honjozo (Yamagata)

Saturday, September 18, 2010, 5 to 7pm

Winebow Imports  Sake Tasting

Chokaisan Junmai Ginjo Nigori (Akita)

Friday, September 24, 2010, 6 to 8pm

Mutual Trading Sake Tasting