Sakaya NYC Blog

Our 6th year anniversary celebration kicks off our schedule of tastings for the festive holiday season…

Friday, December 6, 2013, 6-8pm

SAKAYA Anniversary Tastings

Kokuryu “Ryu” Daiginjo, Kirinzan Junmai Daiginjo, Taiheizan Junmai Daiginjo, Oze no Yukidoke Junmai Daiginjo

Saturday, December 7, 2013, 5-7pm

SAKAYA Anniversary Tastings

Kubota Manju Junmai Daiginjo, Kotsuzumi “Rojo Hana Ari” Junmai Daiginjo, Wataribune Junmai Daiginjo, Born Muroka Nama Genshu Junmai Daiginjo

Friday, December 13, 2013, 6-8pm

Dewazakura Daiginjo Tasting

Saturday, December 14, 2013, 5-7pm

Special New Dassai Sake Tasting

Saturday, December 21, 2013, 5-7pm

Tsukasa Botan Fu-In Junmai Ginjo Tasting

Friday, December 27, 2013, 6-8pm

Nanbu Bijin Tokubetsu Junmai Namazake Tasting

Happy Sake Holidays!

Rick & Hiroko

Goodbye to summer!  But along with the coming of fall is The Joy of Sake on September 26!  And, of course, a new slate of great fall sake tastings….

Saturday, September 7, 2013, 5-7pm

Aramasa Rokugo Tokubetsu Junmai Tasting (Akita)

Friday, September 13, 2013, 6-8pm

Hanaabi Junmai Daiginjo Tasting (Saitama)

Saturday, September 21, 2013, 5-7pm

Fuku Chitose Junmai Yamahai Tasting (Fukui)

With the NYC weather mimicking the heat and humidity that typify summer in  Japan, we’re offering up these tastings this month to provide some distraction and a measure of relief…

Saturday, July 6, 2013, 5-7pm

Oze no Yukidoke Junmai Tasting

Saturday, July 13, 2013, 5-7pm

Ohyama Nama Tokubetsu Junmai Tasting

Saturday, July 20, 2013, 5-7pm

Kubota Senju Honjozo Tasting

Saturday, July 27, 2013, 5-7pm

Shichihonyari Junmai Tasting

It’s the rainy season in Japan and it seems as though the weather gods are treating us likewise.  So join us for our tastings this month and do as the Japanese do this time of year…drink sake!

Saturday, June 1, 2013, 5-7pm

Naraman Origarami Junmai Nama Tasting (Fukushima)

Saturday, June 8, 2013, 5-7pm

Kokuryu “Gohyaku Mangoku” Junmai Ginjo Tasting (Fukui)

Saturday, June 15, 2013, 5-7pm

Hakkaisan Brewery Tasting (Niigata)

Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo & Hakkaisan Ginjo

Saturday, June 22, 2013, 5-7pm

Kenbishi “Kuromatsu” Honjozo Tasting (Hyogo)

Saturday, June 29, 2013, 5-7pm

Shichihonyari Junmai Tasting (Shiga)

As the long-awaited Spring weather finally seems to have arrived, we welcome it with a series of celebratory tastings….

Saturday, May 4, 2013, 5-7pm

Taiheikai Tokubetsu Junmai Tasting

Saturday, May 11, 2013, 5-7pm

Kotsuzumi Junmai Ginjo Nama Tasting

Saturday, May 18, 2013, 5-7pm

Rihaku Junmai Ginjo Tasting

Saturday, May 25, 2013, 5-7pm

Kagatobi Junmai Ginjo Tasting

Please join us!  We look forward to seeing you at SAKAYA!

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

From among the specialty sake (nigori, sparkling, flavored) this year’s top five best sellers in ascending order….

5. Chikurin Hana Hou Hou Shu Sparkling

Unique rose petal and hibiscus flavors have made this pretty pink potion plenty popular!

4. Dassai 50 Sparkling Nigori

Best balance of effervescence, sweet, and dry flavor.

3. Kikusui “Perfect Snow” Nigori Genshu

A no-nonsense nigori that packs a punch!

2. Ume no Yado Aragoshi Umeshu

A blend of pureed ume, honjozo sake, and added  sugar at a price that can’t be beat!

1.  Ume no Yado Yuzu

The undefeated champion among the specialty sake since year one.

It’s time for our annual countdown of our best selling sake for the year just ended.  There might be a surprise or two here but we see the shifts among our top ten as being reflective not only of growing interest in sake as an everyday beverage choice, but also of a deeper involvement and appreciation for the variety of different styles.  And so without further ado….

10.  Jitsuraku Tokubetsu Junmai

Good quality, price/value brew with toasted rice and caramel flavors.

9.  Kurosawa Junmai Kimoto

Also good price/value and everyday drinking sake.

8.  Narutotai Ginjo Nama Genshu

Easy to see why it has a such devoted fan base that loves its bold. lively character.

7.  Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo

A year round favorite, popular among those who know Niigata sake.

6.  Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo (720ml)

Has a growing following, many of whom purchase more than a bottle at a time!

5.  Masumi Arabashiri Junmai Ginjo Nama

The most popular seasonal namazake that we offer each spring.

4.  Kokuryu Gohyaku Mangoku “Black Dragon” Junmai Ginjo

After all 2012 was the “Year of the Dragon….”

3.  Akishika “Bambi” Junmai

Just too cute to pass up!

2.  Dassai 50 Junmai Daiginjo

The Dassai boom continues!

1.  Kikusui Funaguchi Nama Genshu

Our reigning champ for five years running…

Our November tasting schedule is curtailed somewhat due to the week-long power outage courtesy of Hurricane Sandy.   This month we’ll be hosting a visit from a 250 year-old Kobe-based brewer to introduce his sake to the U.S.,  debuting the newly arrived Fall seasonal sake (Hiyaoroshi), and featuring a new offering from a brewer new to the U.S. this past summer.

Saturday, November 10, 2012, 5-7pm

Fukuju Junmai Ginjo & Fukuju Junmai Tasting (Hyogo)

Saturday, November 17, 2012, 5-7pm

Hiyaoroshi Sake Tasting

Urakasumi Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi (Miyagi), Wakatake Onikoroshi Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi (Shizuoka), & Otokoyama Tokubetsu Junmai Kimoto Hiyaoroshi (Hokkaido)

Saturday, November 24, 2012, 5-7pm

Kuroushi Omachi Junmai Ginjo Tasting (Wakayama)

Our October tasting schedule includes special celebrations of Sake Day and the 40th anniversary of Kikusui Funaguchi, plus the launch of a new importer’s junmai yamahai muroka nama genshu, as well as an extremely dry brew from Yamagata, and an easy drinking sake from Niigata.

Monday, October 1, 2012, 5:30-8pm

Sake Day Tasting

Fukucho Junmai Ginjo (Hiroshima), Sato no Homare Junmai Ginjo (Ibaraki), Rihaku Junmai Ginjo (Shimane), and Chiyo no Sono Junmai (Kumamoto)

Thursday, October 4, 2012 6-8pm & Saturday, October 6, 2012, 5-7pm

Floating World Importer Tasting

Kidoizumi Hakugyokko Junmai Yamahai Muroka Nama Genshu (Chiba)

Saturday, October 13, 2012, 5-7pm

Toyo Bijin Junmai Ginjo (Yamaguchi)

Friday, October 19, 2012, 6-8pm

Kikusui Funaguchi 40-year Anniversary Tasting

Saturday, October 27, 2012, 5-7pm

Denemon Junmai Ginjo (Niigata)

To celebrate the upcoming Joy of Sake in NYC, we’ll be offering a series of tastings during the months of September and October featuring Gold and Silver Award winners from the U.S. National Sake Appraisal which took place in Honolulu in late July (Hiroko was one of the nine judges). The Appraisal of 360 sake serves as the basis for the Joy of Sake events in Honolulu, New York, and Tokyo at which the public can enjoy sampling the winners as well as a host of other amazing sake, many of which are not available in the U.S.

We look forward to seeing you at one or all!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012, 6-8pm
Ryujin Brewery Sake Tasting (Gunma)
Oze no Yukidoke Junmai & Junami Daiginjo

Saturday, September 8, 2012, 5-7pm
Yuki no Bosha Yamahai Junmai (Akita)

Saturday, September 15, 2012, 5-7pm
Ura Gasanryu Koka Honjozo (Yamagata)

Saturday, September 22, 2012, 5-7pm
Dewazakura Dewasansan Junmai Ginjo (Yamagata)

Saturday, September 29, 2012, 5-7pm

Shichida Junmai (Saga)