May 16, 2017
The first time I tried an Imada Shuzo (brewery) sake was in 2014 when we opened our bottle shop in Oakland. The savory acidity of the Fukucho Forgotton Fortune junmai made my mouth water, and I have been a convert ever since. I love having Forgotton Fortune with oysters and manila clams, both abundant in […]
May 15, 2017
Miho Imada of Imada Sake Brewery and me with two of the bottles offered this month for Sake Gumi! May sakes ship today for Sake Gumi, our monthly sake subscription club. If you like what’s on deck here, you should join! We are celebrating women makers at Umami Mart this month. From spotlighting Jennifer Colliau […]
April 15, 2017
Kayoko and me with Jiro, holding a Sake Gumi Tote! April sakes ship today for Sake Gumi, our monthly sake subscription club. If you like what’s on deck here, you should join! Spring is upon us and as I write this letter, perhaps the last of the April showers for the year are coming down. […]
April 11, 2017
Our Second Annual Sake Dinner at Camino is happening this Thursday and we can finally share the menu with you. Here are the details! Hope you can join us. Buy your tickets on Eventbrite.
March 31, 2017
These colorful hinoki (Japanese cypress) Ohashi Masu are made for serving sake, but you can use them for holding office + art supplies, business cards, spices, jewelry, and a whole lot more. In the case of these masu, getting creative means thinking inside the box. Ohashi has been making its hinoki masu for more than 60 years in Ogaki City, Japan. […]
March 20, 2017
Yoko and I were so excited to be a part of “Succulents + Sake” at Sunset magazine’s HQ, right here in Jack London Square in Oakland. The event was a celebration of the publication of Robin Stockwell’s new Sunset book, Succulents. The evening comprised of two elements – a hands-on succulent designing tutorial by Baylor Chapman of Lila B. Designs, and […]
February 8, 2017
When we talked about me creating a cocktail with the theme of love for Valentine’s day, I balked. Love… ha! How trite! But in these tumultuous times, we could all use some love. Now, more than ever, am I right? When I walked with thousands of other people at the Women’s March in January, we chanted in unison, […]
January 12, 2017
Tokubetsu means special, and Souden Tokubetsu Junmai is indeed a special sake. Last year, Yoko and Kayoko visited Kitaya, the brewery in Kyushu, Japan that makes this earthy brew. We liked Souden so much that in November, we featured it in Sake Gumi, our monthly sake club, so that others could enjoy it too. Souden […]
December 16, 2016
– If Ichiban and Cup Noodles are regulars in your culinary repertoire and you’re looking for new ways to jazz up your instant ramen fix, here’s a suggestion for you: Just add sake. According to JapanToday, the latest trend in Japan is to add about a tablespoon of sake to instant ramen. And the results […]
December 15, 2016
December sakes ship today for Sake Gumi, our monthly sake subscription club. If you like what’s on deck here, you should join! funk·y \’fuÅ‹-kÄ“\ adjective1. Having or using a strong dance rhythm, in particular that of funk. 2. Strongly musty. 3. Odd or quaint in appearance or feeling. This year was funky. 2016 was full of unexpected […]