Back with part two of this very busy September, more sake events, brewery visits, and some very special guest arriving in Japan...
Kakuuchi Base Pop-Up - Farming and Brewing Shibuya
Felt incredibly lucky to have been able to pop into “Bar Nou” a great pop-up bar in Shibuya. A little hard to find, but totally worth it once you do! With a great selection of sake by the Agribrewing Association, including some very limited bottles and a daily highlight menu featuring 3 sake from a selected brewery.
We were lucky to visit when Moriki Shuzo from Mie was featured and met Moriki-san. I personally love their sake (and labels), so if you are in town the is a must-visit!!!
Where: Shibuya Stream 1F Kakuchi Base
When: 16th Sept- 16th Oct & 25th of Oct -13th of Nov 2022
Good to know: It’s 500¥ per cup, but you can bring your own glass and get 50¥ discount 😁
Sake On Air x Sake Mistress Live recording at JSS in Tokyo
In a whirlwind operation, we organized a very special live recording for Sake On Air at JSS (the Sake and Shochu Information Centre in Tokyo), including a small audience consisting of friends and members of "The Taste with the Toji" community. So much fun and incredibly happy to finally meet the Sake Mistress herself, Simon Maynard who came to Japan, as she has been appointed one of the latest Sake Samurai! Congratulations!
Sake Jump
What was the possibility that it would rain again for Sake Jump?
Well, there seems to be a bit of a theme lately 😅 But again, and despite the wet conditions, the event saw a great turnout of visitors and a superb lineup of breweries with many familiar faces among them. I was excited to see Tsukinoi, which I visited in Oarai earlier this year, and a little sad that I did not get to try Haccoba's Doburoku, as unfortunately, all their bottles were already empty. But loved "Kino" by Gensaka Sake and S.Tokyo by Nakazawa Sake Brewery
"Photo, Sake and Cheese" Talk and Exhibition at Private Tokyo Residence
The second installment of my photo & sake series, with the theme of #beyondsake, featuring not just the sake, but also the communities around the beverage.
This time, we invited guests to bring a bottle of sake and/or cheese and provide the space to communicate and exchange...
Kubota Sake Cocktails at SWRL Shibuya
Another great event organized by Asahi Shuzo in Niigata, introducing their Kubota brand at the very fashionable SWRL in Shibuya. Inviting foreign nationals to showcase sake and collecting feedback on the experience in return.
This time the theme was sake cocktails. Paired with exquisite dishes it was great to see how versatile Kubota sake (or sake in general) can be. No surprises there, other than some great flavor combinations.
Nanbu Bijin Sake Brewery Tour
As we were heading to the 120-year anniversary party of Nanbu Bijin, we of a course popped into the brewery for a quick tour and tasting.
Absolutely loved the tour, as this was a real walk around a sake brewery, where you actually get to see how the sake is brewed! And for a small fee, a variety of Nanbu Bijin's sake can be sampled afterward (and of course bought to take home). This was really fantastic!
Nanbu Bijin 120-Year Anniversary Celebration
Some photos from what many described as the event to the year when people involved in the sake industry came together from all over Japan to celebrate Nanbu Bijin’s 120-year anniversary!
An amazing afternoon with great video installations and speeches, including of course charismatic Kosuke Kuji, the 5th generation Kuramoto of the Nanbu Bijin, who shared with the roughly 700 guests the history, the challenges, the good times and of course his vision and the future of the brewery.
It was a splendid event with great food, delicious sake, and most importantly amazing people! So glad I got to join Sake Lovers and of course congratulate the family for such an amazing milestone.
Mutsu Hassen Brewery Tour and Tasting Hachinohe, Aomori
Uber-excited to get the chance to visit Mutsu Hassen in Hachinohe! For one, because I LOVE their sake and for two, the last time I was in Hachinohe I totally missed out on popping in.
Now the official tour, won't show you much of the brewery, however, they do walk you through some parts of the historic building (not the production area) and the sake tasting is worth the visit. Aside from the brands I already tried and loved, I was really intrigued by the "Mixseed" Series, where 4 young brewers were given the chance to create their own sake, find out more here.
The Month Ahead
Next month already looks interesting, I will be joining the newly appointed Sake Samurai and good friend Simone Maynard for a little Kyoto road trip, along with organizing the first of (hopefully) many Sake Nomad events with Sake Lovers and Shikoku-based sake brewery Miyoshikiku, so stay tuned...
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