Archive for the ‘Store’ Category

June Tastings

Monday, June 8th, 2009

Our schedule of June tastings is guaranteed to both expand your sake experience and pique your curiosity by touching on a wide range of grades, types, and styles.  Please join us for any or all to sample this intriguing line-up of jizake!

 

Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 6 to 8PM

Fukumitsuya Sake Tasting

Kagatobi Junmai Ginjo & Kagatobi Cho Karakuchi YamahaiJunmai

 

Thursday, June 11, 2009, 6 to 8PM

JFC Sake Tasting

Ken Daiginjo (Fukushima) & Denshin Yuki Junmai Ginjo (Fukui)

Saturday, June 20, 2009, 3 to 6PM

Niigata Sake Tasting

 

Saturday, June 27, 2009, 3 to 6PM

Umenoyado Sake Tasting

Umenoyado Junmai Ginjo & Umenoyado Yuzushu

We  look forward to seeing  you at SAKAYA!

Kanpai!

May Tastings

Monday, May 4th, 2009

We begin the month with two tastings of the last wave (and best in our opinion) of the special Spring release namazake.   Next is the debut of the sake from the latest importer to make their brews available in NYC, Sake Story.

And finally, with brewers making their annual mid-May visits to NYC,  we have a full schedule of tastings to offer visitors the opportunity to meet them and sample their sake.

Please join us!

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

Friday, May 1, 6 to 8PM

Japan Prestige Sake Spring Nama Tasting

Saturday, May 9, 3 to 6PM

Japan Prestige Sake Spring Nama Tasting

Thursday, May 14, 6 to 8PM

Sake Story Selections Sake Tasting

Saturday, May 16, 3 to 6PM

Daimon Brewer Sake Tasting

Sunday, May 18, 3 to 5PM

Tentaka Brewer &  Kanbara Brewer Sake Tasting

Friday, May 29, 6 to 8PM

Naruto Tai Brewer Sake Tasting

Sunday, May 31, 3 to 5PM

Onikoroshi Brewer Sake Tasting

April Tastings

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Spring is here, and we’re waiting for the sakura (cherry blossoms) to bloom.  Ohanami is the Japanese tradition of viewing and cherishing the sakura with friends and families, but without sake, an integral part of the tradition,  ohanami wouldn’t be as enjoyable.

At SAKAYA, we have the perfect sake for all occasions.  Pick up some nihonshu for your ohanami or for whatever your Spring celebration.

To introduce you to some options to choose from, herewith is our April in-store tastings schedule….

Friday, April 3, 2009, from 6 to 8PM

Takasago Shuzo Sake Tasting

Taisetsu Junmai Ginjo & Ginga Shizuku “Divine Droplets” Junmai Daiginjo

 

Saturday, April 11, 2009, from 3 to 6PM

Masumi Arabashiri Junmai Ginjo Spring Namazake Tasting

 

Saturday, April 18, 2009, from 3 to 6PM

Azumaichi Junmai & Junmai Ginjo Tasting

 

Saturday, April 25, 2009 from 3 to 6PM

Amanoto Tokubetsu Junmai Nama/non-Nama Tasting

 

 

March Sake Tasting

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

With the official first day of Spring on the horizon, get a jump on the season with a visit to SAKAYA for one or all of our tastings this month.

 

Saturday, March 7, 2009, 3~6PM

Tomita Sake Tasting by Ms. Midori Nakazawa from Joto Sake Import

Shicihon Yari Shizuku Junmai Daiginjo

 Shichihon Yari Junmai

 

Saturday, March 14, 2009, 3~6PM

Spring Namazake Tasting by Mr. Kazu Yamazaki from Japan Prestige Sake Association

Kamikokoro Toukagen Nama (Okayama)

Harushika Shiboribana Nama (Nara)

Ichinokura Nigori Nama Genshu (Miyagi)

 

Saturday, March 21, 2009,  3~6PM

Nanbu Bijin Nama/non-Nama Tasting

 

We look forward to seeing you at SAKAYA!

Kanpai!
Rick & Hiroko

Namazake – Unpasteurized Sake

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

img_2150_1.JPG

From late January to early February, we offer the Hatsushibori or early spring namazake at SAKAYA.  What exactly is namazake?  Namazake is unpasteurized sake, which means that the sake has been bottled without receiving the heat treatment of pasteurization.  Most sake is pasteurized twice during its production process; first after pressing the fermented mash to extract the liquid sake, and then again after a period of maturation before bottling.  Why is it pasteurized?  For a couple of reasons.  Pasteurization deactivates the enzymes still left frolicking about in the sake after fermentation and also kills off “riff raff” bacteria, thus stabilizing the brew for longer shelf life.  Unpasteurized sake therefore must be kept refrigerated or it will become cloudy, yeasty, and cloying.

Kept under the proper conditions and consumed within a brief time after opening,  namazake’s characteristically bold, fresh, and lively flavors are quite enjoyable.  Think of it as freshly squeezed grapefruit juice instead of the made-from-concentrate version or draft versus bottled beer.

At SAKAYA we have several styles for you to try and compare (including one made with peach yeast) so please visit us  by and give them a try to find your own favorite(s)!

Kanpai!

SAKAYA Valentine’s Day Sake Selections

Friday, February 6th, 2009

 

valentine’s day 2009

 

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, for many the search for amorous expression intensifies.  For those who are seeking to go beyond cards,  candy, and flowers,  might we suggest something sake as a means to express your love?

Our picks (shown above from left to right) to make this a Valentine’s Day to remember are:

Tedorigawa Ikina Onna "Lucky Lady" Junmai Daiginjo (Ishikawa) –  When told that it reminded you of her, what fortunate woman wouldn’t be flattered to be presented with this beautifully elegant, silky brew!

Kamikokoro "Tokagen" Tokubetsu Junmai Nama Genshu (Okayama) – Uniquely brewed with white peach yeast, this early spring release namazake is delicately sweet like your first love.

Denshin "Yuki" Junmai Ginjo (Fukui) – Pure and clean with a gentle fragrance, the bottle design characters translate to "express what is in your heart."  Need we say more?

Juyon Dai Junmai Ginjo (Yamagata) –  Very difficult to find, this sake has achieved cult status for its delicately aromatic, smooth elegance with nuanced layers of apricot and melon flavors.  Its Valentine’s connection?  Ju yon is Japanese for the number 14.

Tsukasabotan "Fu-in (Seal) " Junmai Ginjo (Kochi) –  Seal your Valentine’s affection with the kiss of this clean, grapefruit and banana-scented brew.

Ban Ryu "Thousand Ways" Honjozo (Yamagata) – Give this cherry and berry noted sake and you won’t have to come up with the other 999 ways to say "I love you."

Finding a unique gift or preparing a special Valentine’s dinner is always a challenge.  Try introducing sake as the twist for this year.  You never know, it might become a tradition.

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

 

February Tastings

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit SAKAYA to add your name to our Tasting Reminder Email List, here’s the upcoming schedule of our in-store tastings for the coming month. 

You can also find the updated schedule on our website via the "Events" button.

Thursday, February 5, 6 to 8PM

Tasting of newly released Early Spring Season Namazake from importer JotoSake

 

Thursday, February 12, 6 to 8PM

SAKAYA’s Valentine’s Day Selections

 

Saturday, February 21, 3 to 6PM

Vine Connection Imports Sake Tasting

 

Saturday, February 28, 3 to 6PM

Hakkaisan Brewer Sake Tasting

 

Please join us to enjoy this month’s series of great sake selections. 

We look forward to welcoming you at SAKAYA!

Kanpai!

Rick & Hiroko

Super Bowl Sake

Saturday, January 31st, 2009

In anticipation of American sports’ most heavily watched event coming up this Sunday, we all know that there are some who are preoccupied with the game itself, others with the betting line, still others with menu planning, but all have one larger question looming in their minds… WHAT TO DRINK!

Yes, the easy answer would be “beer.”  Answer number two might be “wine.” Well, at least the easy answer is on the right track because a brew is what we had in mind too.  But this brew drinks like answer number two!  What is the mystery beverage that we’re suggesting?  You knew what it was when you saw who sent you this message…

So without further adieu, here are our sake recommendations to make Super Bowl XLIII a little more (or less, depending upon how much you consume) memorable…

 Tama no Hikari Junmai Daiginjo (Kyoto) and Umenishiki Sake Hitosuji Junmai Ginjo (Ehime) - Show your support for the Steelers by drinking sake whose label brandishes the team’s black and gold colors

Jokigen Junmai Ginjo (Yamagata) – Cardinals fans can have their own red and white label to answer with.

Kamoizumi “Shusen” Tokubetsu Junmai (Hiroshima) - A “big-boned” sake in the image of Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Rothlisberger

Ken Daiginjo (Fukushima) – As in the first name of Arizona’s coach Whisenhunt

Narutotai Ginjo Nama Genshu (Tokushima) – Because it is without a doubt, THE best sake to have with chili and/or nachos!

Of course you don’t need a direct connection to choose the brew that suits you. So please stop by and visit us at SAKAYA. We’ll be happy to offer some more sake suggestions if you’re not a partisan of either team or aren’t having chili.

Kanpai!

Sake Warmer

Monday, January 26th, 2009

sake tanpo

With the arrival of cold weather, kanzake (warmed sake) becomes a more top-of-mind drinking option. For our friends  who enjoy their brew temped, we sought an easy-to-use, inexpensive sake warmer {“sake tanpo (酒タンポ)” }from Japan. This one  is made from aluminum.  To warm sake, pour it into the tanpo and place it into a bath of hot water. It’s a brilliantly simple gadget.  When the sake reaches body temperature (use a meat thermometer), it’s time to remove it from the bath and imbibe.  More on this in an upcoming post about warming sake.

The question lingers though, what does “tanpo” mean? It doesn’t sound Japanese,  but it doesn’t sound English or Portuguese (from which some Japanese words originate), either. After a bit of research, Hiroko discovered the intriguing answer…

Tanpo from comes from yu tanpo (湯たんぽ), a bed warmer, “yu” (湯) means hot water, but “tanpo” is the mysterious word.  It turns out the word “tanpo” originally comes from the Chinese word 湯婆 (tangpo), the character 婆 means “wife.” The idea is that you hold onto your wife to keep you warm in bed. When the term “tanpo” came to Japan in 14th century, Japanese people added the modifier “yu” 湯 to identify the bed warmer.

Therefore, sake tanpo is the warmer of sake.   Pick one up or improvise your own to experiment with the pleasures of atsukan this winter!  We’re happy to recommend a few for you to try…..

Kamoizumi Shusen “Three Dots” Tokubetsu Junmai (Hiroshima)

 

Daishichi Kimoto “Classic” Junmai (Fukushima)

 

Naraman Muroka Junmai (Fukushima)

 

Chiyomusubi Tokubetsu Junmai (Tottori)

 

Sawanoi Kiokejikomi Iroha Junmai (Tokyo)

 

Kanpai!


SAKAYA in Today’s Washington Post

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009

washington post 1.7.09

We are very excited to have been included in the 1/7/09 Washington Post Style section article, In NY, a Yen for Japanese Shop (registration at washingtonpost.com is required)!

 

Please check it out online or in print (if you’re a subscriber or live in the DC Metro area).