Sakaya NYC Blog

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.

 The sake sampling season of September is in full swing!  With brewers descending on New York for their importer and distributor events, we’re excited about welcoming a full complement of them to SAKAYA for a line up of terrific tastings.  Please join us for as many as you’re able to fit into your schedule.

And don’t forget about Joy of Sake on September 24 where there will be over 270 sake to taste! Tickets may be purchased at SAKAYA for $80.

Friday, September 4, 2009, from 6 to 8PM

Daishichi Brewer Sake Tasting (Fukushima)

Daishichi Kimoto Classic Junmai, Minowamon Kimoto Junmai Daiginjo, & Daishichi Kimoto Umeshu

Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 3 to 6PM

Niigata Sake SENA Tasting

Kirinzan Junmai & Manotsuru Junmai Ginjo Genshu

Friday, September 18, 2009, from 6 to 8PM

Joto Sake Tasting

Yuho Junmai (Ishikawa) & Taiheikai Tokubetsu Junmai (Ibaraki)

Wednesday, September 23, 2009, from 6 to 8PM

Shochu Tasting by Satsuma Distiller (Kagoshima)

Satsuma Shiranami Imo (Sweet Potato) Shochu & Kuro Shiranami Imo Shocchu

Saturday, September 26, 2009 from 5 to 7PM

Nanbu Bijin Brewer Tasting (Iwate)

Nanbu Bijin Tokubetsu Junmai

With hot weather finally upon us we’ve scheduled a slate of tastings featuring sake that offer refreshing flavors to slake the summer thirst.

Saturday, August 8, 2009 from 4PM~6PM

Japan Prestige Sake Association Summer Namazake

Ohyama Summer Nama Tokubetsu Junmai (Yamagata)

Thursday, August 13, 2009 from 6PM ~8PM

Dassai 39 Sparkling Sake (Yamaguchi)

Thursday, August 20, 2009 from 6PM ~8PM

Kaiun Junmai Ginjo (Shizuoka) & Biwa no Choju Junmai Ginjo (Shiga)

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 from 6PM ~ 8PM

Nishimoto Trading Sake Tasting

Kamoshibito Kuheiji Junmai Ginjo & Muroka Junmai Daiginjo (Aichi)

We look forward to seeing you at one or more of these events at SAKAYA this month.

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

We are delighted that SAKAYA was included in Time Out New York’s cover story on the East Village.  Rick is featured in “Why the East Village?” by Pervaiz Shallwani.

 

We are delighted that the August issue Gourmet Magazine features Ume no Yado Yuzu-shu as one of their “Good Living Obsessions” and notes SAKAYA exclusively as the place to buy it!  We couldn’t agree with them more on this refreshing beverage as the perfect summer aperitif.   Please drop by and pick up a bottle, you’ll be glad you did.

  

Our apologies for the late posting of the July tasting schedule.  Still remaining at this point are the noteworthy U.S. debuts of the Tsuki no Katusura Junmai Ginjo summer namazake from Japan Prestige Sake,  Dassai 39 Sparkling Nigori, and Kikusui Organic Junmai.

 Please join us to enjoy these new arrivals and taste the latest offerings of the accompanying established favorites .  We look forward to seeing you at SAKAYA!

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

Saturday, July 11, 2009, 3 to 6PM

Winebow Importer Tasting

Ichishima Futsu-shu & Dewatsuru Kimoto Junmai

Thursday, July 16, 2009, 6 to 8PM

World Sake Import Tasting

Seitoku Junmai Ginjo (Gunma) & Dewazakura Dewa San San (Yamagata)

Thursday, July 23, 2009, 6 to 8PM

Japan Prestige Sake Summer Nama Tasting

Ohyama Tokubetsu Junmai Nama & Tsuki no Katsura Junmai Ginjo Nama

Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 6 to 8PM

Mr. Sakurai’s Sparkling Sake Tasting

Dassai 39 Sparkling Nigori

Thursday, July 30, 2009, 6 to 8PM

Kikusui Brewer Sake Tasting

Kikusui Organic Junmai, Kikusui Junmai Ginjo, & Kikusui Funaguchi

We were thrilled to receive a phone call from Kelly Choi, the host of WNYC’s “Eat Out NYC” telling us that she wanted to come to SAKAYA to do an interview about “how to navigate a sake shop.”

As agreed, she arrived with her camera crew at 11AM on May 20 and two hours later, we had wrapped the session which was to be distilled down to a two-minute segment.   It initially aired the following week (and may still be running…we’re not sure).  Please click here to check it out for yourself.

Our hope is that we were able to create some new interest in premium sake and that we offered some guidance to help make it a bit easier for viewers to explore and enjoy this exquisite beverage.

SAKAYA on Eat Out New York