• News,  Reviews,  Sake,  Traditions

    Easter Sake Pairings

    Spring is in full bloom and Easter is just around the corner. We’ve gathered a few of our favorite Easter pairing suggestions to help get you ready for the holiday. Don’t miss discovering which sake pairs best with your favorite Easter treats below. Tozai Snow Maiden Sake Flavors of honeydew melon, raw pumpkin, and radish. Creamy texture and full body. Try paired with a white chocolate bunny. Fukucho Moon on the Water Sake A fruity nose of lime and melon with bold hints of fennel, white pepper and allspice. Try paired with dark chocolate eggs. Mana 1751 True Vision An aromatic and expressive yamahai with notes of tart yogurt, mushroom, honey, banana…

  • Brewery,  News,  Toji

    Imada Brewery

    Overview Fukucho’s female brewery owner, Miho Imada, is also the Toji – a rarity in Japan to have both jobs done by the same person. • Miho-san’s passion and curiosity for sake brewing is truly amazing: to date she has revived a local heirloom rice that was out of use for hundreds of years, created her own hybrid yeast starter, and experimented with brewing sake using white koji. • There are around 30 female tojis in Japan, but when Miho-san started brewing there were far fewer. Her extreme dedication to her craft encourages the future of women in this industry. Brewery Name: Imada BreweryBrewery Founded: 1868Toji (master brewer): Miho ImadaBrewery…

  • Junmai,  News,  Reviews,  Sake,  Toji

    Sake to Me

    Everyone loves bubbles, however, sadly, not everyone loves sake. But mix the two together and it is a whole new ballgame! Sparkling sake has less alcohol than regular sake and tends to be slightly sweeter, which may win over sake-phobic friends. We like Fukucho Seaside Sparkling Sake (MSRP $33 for 500ml) and love that it comes from one of Japan’s few female brewmasters, Miho Imada. The citrus and apple notes pair well with seafood, such as shrimp, and mild cheeses, like burrata. SAKE OVERVIEW Sparkling sake made through secondary fermentation in bottle. Toji Miho Imada uses a little white koji in this sake, resulting in citrus notes and refreshing finish.…

  • News,  Traditions

    Kanpai to World Sake Day!

    Pour a glass for a friend & celebrate World Sake Day on October 1st! We can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with delicious foods paired with premium Japanese sake. About World Sake Day  World Sake Day or “Nihonshu no Hi” is a significant day on the Japanese calendar. The celebrations are held annually on October 1st as the beginning of the 10th month signifies sake’s ‘New Year’s Day.’ This tradition started in 1978 and has become a day that Japanese people look forward to because it not only recognizes sake and its contributions to Japanese culture, but commemorates its history and numerous skilled brewers. World Sake Day…

  • News,  Reviews,  Traditions

    Winners of the 2014 Fine Sake Awards Japan

    The 2014 Fine Sake Awards Japan awarded 26 Grand Gold Medals and 125 Gold Medals to the most outstanding sakes made in Japan this year. The Fine Sake Awards Japan does not solely focus on assessing the quality of sake. This blind tasting competition is supported by sake evangelists and other specialists who recognize the popularity of sake and its culture and are dedicated to spreading the wonders of sake. This event, inaugurated in 2011, has become one of the biggest sake competitions in Japan with about 200 breweries nationwide handing in some 300 items in total. The judges received 492 entries from the record-high number of 227 breweries in the…