February 2011 Sake Tastings

January 24th, 2011

After we return from Japan, we are delighted to begin our Feburary tastings by welcoming two prestigious brewers from Miyagi prefecture and excited to follow them with two weekend events introducing the first wave of early spring namazake

Thursday, February 10, 2011, from 6 to 8pm

Ichinokura Brewery Tasting


Friday, February 11, 2011, from 6 to 8pm

Urakasumi Brewery Tasting


Saturday, February 19, 2011, from 5 to 7pm

Spring Namazake Tasting


Friday, February 25, 2011, from 6 to 8pm

Spring Namazake Tasting

SAKAYA’s Best Selling Speciality Sake for 2010

January 5th, 2011

And as promised, our top five best selling specialty sake countdown…

5.  Yuki no Bosha Junmai Ginjo Nigori (Akita)

Nice light touch of strawberry and peach, elegant and delicate Nigori sake.

4.  Ume no Yado Aragoshi Umeshu (Nara)

Sweet and plummy!  Pureed plum mixed with sake add a great texture to umeshu.

3.  Kamoizumi Summer Snow Ginjo Nigori (Hiroshima)

Sweet yet light and refreshing, perfect Nigori for just sipping and with spicy food.

2.  Chikurin Hana Hou Hou Shu Sparkling (Okayama)

Pink and cute, slightly sweet with touch of hibiscus, nice bubbly sake for everyday to celebration.

1.  Ume no Yado Yuzushu (Nara)

Who doesn’t like Yuzu?  This product flies off the shelf like an infinite Angry Birds attack!

SAKAYA’s Best Selling Sake for 2010

January 4th, 2011

As we begin 2011 it’s time to take what has become our annual last look back to share the list of our customers’ favorite sake from the just completed year.  This year we’ve added a new wrinkle to our reporting by separating what has previously been one list into two;  the first for Seishu (refined sake) and the second for Specialty Sake (e.g. Nigori, Sparkling, and flavored).   Each list is posted separately.

So, without further adieu we give you the countdown of our top 10 selling seishu

10.  Otokoyama Tokubetsu Junmai (Hokkaid0)

Dry and easy to drink, the best example of dry Junmai sake

9.  Masumi Okuden Kantsukuri Junmai (Nagano)

Medium to light body, it is smooth and goes down easy.

8.  Masumi Arabashiri Junmai Ginjo (Nagano)

The best spring namazake of 2010!  Fresh and lively, it makes people smile.

7.  Kokuryu Gohyaku Mangoku Junmai Ginjo (Fukui)

Who can say “no” to Kokuryu Junmai Ginjo?  With its silky smoothness  and great body it is a great accompaniment for any food.

6.  Jokigen Junmai Ginjo (Yamagata)

Cool label with smooth rice flavor, it goes down easy and quick.

5.  Denemon Junmai Ginjo (Niigata)

Hint of peach and honeydew on the note, it is great to drink by itself or with food.

4.  Narutotai Ginjo Nama Genshu (Tokushima)

Bold and distinctive!  Its body and smoothness will match with beef and hardy food.

3.  Suigei Tokubetsu Junmai (Kochi)

The basic table sake of  choice, it is dry with good body.

2.  Dassai 50 Junmai Daiginjo (Yamaguchi)

If you have never had sake before, start with Dassai 50.  It is an elegant and beautiful sake.

1.  Kikusui Funaguchi Nama Genshu (Niigata)

Who can resist this bright, bold sake in a pocket-sized can?

January 2011 Sake Tastings

January 3rd, 2011

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

December 2010 Sake Tastings

December 2nd, 2010

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)

November 2010 Sake Tastings

November 2nd, 2010

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)

October 2010 Sake Tastings

September 30th, 2010

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

Sake Day (Nihonshu no Hi) 2010

September 30th, 2010

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.

Masumi Nanago “Seventh Heaven” Junmai Daiginjo (Nagano)
Tedorigawa Ikina Onna “Lucky Lady” Daiginjo (Ishikawa)
Kokuryu Tokusen “Crystal Dragon” Ginjo (Fukui)
Dewazakura Dewasansan “Green Ridge” Junmai Ginjo (Yamagata)
Seitoku “Trapeza” Junmai Ginjo (Gunma)
Hoyo Genji “Shining Prince” Tokubetsu Junmai (Miyagi)
Please join us for the festivities and an evening of kanpai’s!

Joy of Sake in NYC

September 17th, 2010

As friends of SAKAYA and fellow sake enthusiasts, we wanted to make sure that you don’t miss the premier sake event of the year, The Joy of Sake.  With over 300 terrific sake, it is an opportunity to taste some of Japan’s best (many of which aren’t found in the U.S….at least not yet!) and sample delicious food from thirteen of NYC’s best Asian restaurants.   Purchase your tickets ($90) at SAKAYA and receive a free o-choko (sake cup).

We look forward to seeing you there!

Rick & Hiroko


September 2010 Sake Tastings

September 8th, 2010

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