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Hakkaisan Tanabata Celebration at Sakagura

I was invited to help introduce and pour Hakkaisan sake at a special event at Sakagura restaurant celebrating the festival of “Tanabata”.

Tanabata Matsuri is known as the “Japanese Star Festival” and is usually held on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year. The festival commemorates two star-crossed lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi who could not be together on earth, but come together once a year in the heavens as stars.

Masumi Sake Events in New York City!

Masumi ArabashiriWhen I was a little kid, I knew Easter and the promise of Spring was on it’s way whenever I saw those Cadbury bunny chocolate eggs start to appear in the supermarket. I would also totally get a tummy ache from always eating too many, but despite this small roadblock, I still looked [...]

VOS Selections features Prestige Sakes

As a part of their 2010 Grand Portfolio Tasting, I attended a wonderful sake lecture by Kazu Yamazaki of Prestige Sakes. Kazu and Mariko Yamazaki work tirelessly to promote sake and introduce their wonderful Prestige Sakes to the US. Kazu-san’s fun lecture was focused on the “grand cru” of sakes… Daiginjos and Junmai [...]

Kuramoto US Sake Promotion Event

A Sake Industry promotion company called “Kuramoto US” recently put on a sake tasting event at the fantastic Kitano Hotel. Twelve Sake breweries were featured at the tasting, many bringing their precious and fresh Namazake for us to try. That delicious Namazake was really a highlight – but several were only for this [...]

Interviews »

Interview: Koji Kawakami, Yoshinogawa Sake Brewery

With Yoshinogawa President Koji KawakamiFounded in 1548, Yoshinogawa Sake Brewery is the oldest in Niigata Prefecture. That is 462 years of sake making in Niigata!
I recently had the distinct honor of sitting down with Yoshinogawa’s 19th generation company President, Mr. Koji Kawakami, to ask him so questions about thoughts on sake, pairing sake [...]

Interview: Kazuo Matsuura, Honke Matsuura Brewery

With Kazuo Matsuura and NarutotaiHonke Matsuura Brewery makes the famous Narutotai brand sake. When I recently met the brewery President, Dr. Kazuo Matsuura, he kindly agreed to answer some questions about his sake, his brewery and his native Tokushima. Narutotai is wildly popular in the United States and I wanted to learn [...]

Interview: Jihei Isawa, Katsuyama Brewery

Meeting Mr. IsawaI had the distinct honor of meeting the president of Miyagi Prefecture’s Katsuyama Sake Brewery, Mr. Jihei Isawa, earlier this year. I tasted several of his sakes and can report they were a revelation! Isawa-san was kind enough to sit down for an interview and he was enthusiastic to [...]

Interview: Yohei Ito, Akita Seishu Brewery

Late last year, had the opportunity to meet Mr. Yohei Ito of Akita Seishu Sake Brewery. Akita Seishu is well known for many delicious sakes including both the Kariho and Dewatsuru brands. Mr. Ito was kind enough to agree to answer some questions about the sake world from his point of view.