Entries by Timothy Sullivan

NYC: Warm Sake Night at Sakagura

Warm Sake Night at Sakagura Event organizer’s Description: Sakagura and Kuramoto US, Inc Present Nurukan no Kai – Warm Sake Night Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 7:00pm – 9:00pm On Thursday, February 3rd, Sakagura and Kuramoto US, Inc (http://www.kuramotous.com) will play proud host to TEN of the most distinguished breweries from Japan. We cordially welcome you […]

NYC: Elements of Sake Class

Elements of Sake Class! Note: Registration for this class will begin in February Please join me!! I am teaching a sake 101 class at the Astor center called the “Elements of Sake.” This class is a fun, informative and tasty way to dive into the world of premium saké. I’ll walk you through every step […]

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2010 Golden Masu Awards

Before we leave 2010 behind us forever, I wanted to take a look back at this year and highlight some master brews we encountered over the last 12 months. It’s been an awesome year – both for sake and for myself! I got to travel to Japan twice this year which is a dream come true. Tasting new sakes is always a thrill and 2010 allowed me to do lots of that. What could be better?!

NYC: Nanbu Bijin Junmai Daiginjo Curry at Kasadela

Nanbu Bijin Brewery, Sake Discoveries, and Kasadela present:

SUPER LIMITED MIDNIGHT SNACK TASTING!

Mini size of Nanbu Bijin Junmai Daiginjo beef curry paired with small glass of Nanbu Bijin Daiginjo!

Just $14 !!!

It will be served only Friday, December 10th, Saturday 11th, and Sunday 12th after 10:30pm at Kasadela in East Village.

NYC: Nanbu Bijin Junmai Daiginjo Curry at Kasadela

Nanbu Bijin Brewery, Sake Discoveries, and Kasadela present:

SUPER LIMITED MIDNIGHT SNACK TASTING!

Mini size of Nanbu Bijin Junmai Daiginjo beef curry paired with small glass of Nanbu Bijin Daiginjo!

Just $14 !!!

It will be served only Friday, December 10th, Saturday 11th, and Sunday 12th after 10:30pm at Kasadela in East Village.

NYC: Nanbu Bijin Junmai Daiginjo Curry at Kasadela

Nanbu Bijin Brewery, Sake Discoveries, and Kasadela present:

SUPER LIMITED MIDNIGHT SNACK TASTING!

Mini size of Nanbu Bijin Junmai Daiginjo beef curry paired with small glass of Nanbu Bijin Daiginjo!

Just $14 !!!

It will be served only Friday, December 10th, Saturday 11th, and Sunday 12th after 10:30pm at Kasadela in East Village.

NYC: Hakkaisan Holiday Party at Sakagura

Hakkaisan Holiday Party at Sakagura Event organizer’s Description: Join us for a very special Holiday Hakkaisan Sake Party at New York’s Sakagura Restaurant on Wednesday, December 22nd from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. This wonderful night will feature four kinds of Hakkaisan Sake: Hakkaisan Ginjo, Hakkaisan Tokubetsu Junmai, Hakkaisan Honjozo and, as a special treat, the chance […]

NYC: Joto Sake Tasting at Sakaya

Joto Sake Tasting When: Fri Dec 3, 2010 6pm to Fri Dec 3, 2010 8pm EST Where: SAKAYA Event Description: Seikyo Junmai Ginjo & Seikyo Junmai (Hiroshima) SAKAYA 324 E. 9th Street (btwn 1st & 2nd Ave.) NYC 10003 212.505.7253 (SAKE) www.sakayanyc.com

Honolulu: HARUSHIKA at The Sake Shop

HARUSHIKA Saturday, November 20, 2010 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Mr. Imanishi, President Located in Nara prefecture, Harushika means “Spring Deer”. The first capital of Japan was established in Nara back in 710 AD which is also thought to be the birthplace of sake! Harushika Brewery was founded in 1884 as the official sake brewery […]

Honolulu: OKUNOMATSU at The Sake Shop

OKUNOMATSU Thursday, November 18, 2010 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Mr. Tsushima, General Manager Founded in Fukushima prefecture way back in 1716, Okunomatsu Sake Brewery has been making delicious sake for over 3 centuries! The pure spring water from Mount Adatara has helped their Tokubetsu Junmai win gold at the US National Appraisals for the […]

Honolulu: TAIHEIZAN at The Sake Shop

TAIHEIZAN Wednesday, November 17, 2010 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Mr. Kodama, President Event organizers description: The last time Mr. Kodama from Taiheizan came to the shop to pour his sake we were standing room only! We quickly sold out of his Daiginjo and ended up with a long waiting list on back order, This […]

JFC Sake Expo 2010

I recently attended the JFC Sake Expo in Manhattan. This is a trade event that introduces sakes imported by the sake importing company JFC. For me, it’s a great chance to get up close and personal with some of the great sakes brought to the States. Here’s a sampling of what I tasted at this […]

Japan Trip 2010: Saiya Sake Brewery

My next visit in Japan was to Akita’s Saiya Shuzoten, makers of the famous Yuko No Bosha sakes. Mr. Kataro Saito was off on business, but his lovely wife Ms. Maki Saito and their Toji Mr. Takahashi gave me a nice tour of their brewery! One of the beautiful things I noticed about Saiya Sake […]

Japan Trip 2010: Akita Seishu Sake Brewery

With a visit to Akita Seishu Sake Brewery, you really get two, two, two Breweries in one! You see Akita Seishu makes sake under two Brands in two facilities including both the Kariho and Dewatsuru labels. I interviewed Mr. Yohei Ito of Dewatsuru back in February. After that interview, I was excited to see Akita […]

Japan Trip 2010: Naba Sake Brewery

My next stop in Japan was at the Naba Sake Brewery in Akita City, Japan. On a very rainy and cold Akita afternoon, I was welcomed to the Naba Sake brewery by its COO, Mr. Hisashi Naba. Mr. Naba was a youthful and engaging guide to his brewery. Upon arriving at the brewery, he first […]

Seattle: Sake Nomi Sake Explorations Event

Saké Explorations at Sake Nomi Event Organizer’s Description: Sake Explorations: Same Sake, Different Vessel Saturday, Nov. 20 @ 7 p.m. Please join us for our latest edition of saké-related seminars we call “Saké Explorations.” This time around, on Saturday, November 20, we will be playing around with different drinking vessels and discussing how the choice […]

Japan Trip 2010: Ichishima Sake Brewery

My next stop in Japan was Ichishima Sake Brewery, located in Shibata City, Niigata. I’ve known the current brewery President, the young and dynamic Kenji Ichishima for several years now. Ichishima-san is the current leader of the Sake Brewer’s Association Junior Council / Sake Samurai organization where I first met him in 2007. He is the descendant of a sake brewing family steeped in tradition that dates back over 200 years, but he has also spent considerable time abroad and in addition to speaking fluent English, he also understands the dynamic of western cultures.

Japan Trip 2010: Masukagami Sake Brewery

Before I left Kamo, Niigata, Ms. Yamazaki took me to meet a local sake Brewery in town. It was just a short drive from Yamazaki Sake shop to the Masukagami Sake Brewery. As they currently don’t export to the US, I had not yet tried their sake, but I was so happy to meet them. […]

Japan Trip 2010: Yamazaki Sake Shop

My next stop this autumn in Japan is a small town in Niigata called Kamo. I met Megumi Yamazaki on twitter, and she introduced herself as someone who runs a sake shop in Japan. I was excited to see how sake is sold outside the big city so I took a day and made a […]

NYC: Japan Prestige Sake Tasting at Sakaya

Japan Prestige Sake Association Sake Tasting Saturday, November 20, 2010, 6-8pm Japan Prestige Sake Association Sake Tasting Sawanoi Junmai Hiyaoroshi & Wakatake Onikoroshi Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi SAKAYA 324 E. 9th Street (btwn 1st & 2nd Ave.) NYC 10003 212.505.7253 (SAKE) www.sakayanyc.com

NYC: Hiyaoroshi Sake Tasting at Sakaya

Hiyaoroshi Sake Tasting Saturday, November 6, 2010, 5-7pm Hiyaoroshi Sake Tastings Kikusui Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi & Urakasumi Tokubetsu Junmai Hiyaoroshi SAKAYA 324 E. 9th Street (btwn 1st & 2nd Ave.) NYC 10003 212.505.7253 (SAKE) www.sakayanyc.com

NYC: Sake and Chocolate Tasting at Sakaya

Event Organizer’s Description: Chocolate and sake. What better pairing could there be as an unexpectedly sublime holiday gift. We’ve teamed up with chocolatier Shaineal Shah of xocolatti to pair his dark chocolate and sake chocolate truffles with two perfect nihonshu matches; Ume no Yado Aragoshi Umeshu and Kagatobi Junmai Ginjo. Chef Shaineal will be on […]

Chicago: Sushi Samba Sushi & Sake 101

SUSHI & SAKE 101 SUSHISAMBA invites you to master the art of making maki and tasting sake Do you ginjo shu? Got nori know how? Learn the lingo at SUSHISAMBA’s SUSHI & SAKE 101 class! It’s the perfect gift for the home chef, dining-out enthusiast and friend who has everything! Join us at SUSHI and […]

Japan Trip 2010: Koyoido – Kyoto’s Cutest Sake Ceramics

The 21st Century is turning out to be kinda hectic so far, with everyone’s Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds and Flickr streams constantly demanding attention. However, the obvious upside to all this technology is that it allows people to connect with one another.

This is exactly what happened to me when I met the adorable Ren and Rie, a couple who run what has to be the the cutest ceramics atelier in Kyoto: Koyoido.

Yonkers: Hinomaru Sake Pairing Dinner at X20 Restaurant

Peter Kelly welcomes HINOMARU Sunday Nov. 7th at X2O Yonkers save the date time: Sunday, November 7th 5:00–7:00pm place: X2O Restaurant Yonkers, NY event: Sake Pairing Dinner guest: Mr. Jouji Sato, President Hinomaru Brewery (1689) Sake: Manabito Junmai Daiginjo Manabito Kimoto Junmai Ginjo Manabito Ginjo + one surprise Join renowned chef Peter Kelly as he […]

NYC: Autumn JIZAKE Night at Sakagura

Sakagura and Wine of Japan Present Autumn JIZAKE Night Friday, November 5th, 2010 6:30pm – 8:30pm On Friday, November 5th, Sakagura will play proud host to ELEVEN of the most distinguished breweries from Japan. We cordially welcome you to much-anticipated Autumn JIZAKE night at Sakagura! The twenty sakes that have been carefully selected for this […]

Japan Trip 2010: Sake Samurai Ceremony

On this trip to Japan, I returned to the Sake Samurai Ceremony in Kyoto to witness the 5th annual celebration of this great event. The purpose of Sake Samurai is to acknowledge select individuals, both inside and outside of Japan, who are working for the betterment of sake around the globe. Fellow New Yorker and […]

Honolulu: Autumn Hiyaoroshi at The Sake Shop

A TASTE OF AUTUMN It’s Autumn! For most people around the world this means the seasons are changing, the temperature has begun to cool off and the leaves are starting to change color. Unfortunately in Hawaii there are only two seasons … dry and rainy. So to help everyone get into the spirit of “Autumn […]

Japan Trip 2010: Matsuo, Home of the Sake Gods

I’m visiting Kyoto this year to attend the 2010 Sake Samurai Ceremony and was lucky enough to get a chance to visit the Matsuo Taisha (松尾大社). Founded in 701 A.D., it’s an ancient Shinto shrine on the outskirts of Kyoto City that has a special connection to everyone who loves sake. You see, this is […]

NYC: Daishichi Sake Tasting Night at Sakagura

On Friday, October 15th, SAKAGURA will play proud host to the most distinguished brewery, Daishichi – Big Seven – Shuzo from Fukushima, Japan.
Daishichi Brewery is well known in the U.S. and they have been strictly particular about traditional “kimoto” brewing.

Japan Trip 2010: Cup Sake Bar Buri

So you fly into Narita at 4pm on a Monday afternoon and what do you do? Well, if you’re a 21st century sake blogger like me, why not meet up with a cyber-twitter-sake-blog-colleague and go on a cup sake adventure through Tokyo?!

I first met Maki Osugi online when I discovered his wonderful cup sake blog bq69 collectibles. I liked his blog so much I asked him for an interview in 2009 that you can read here. Luckily for me Maki-san had lived in New York and spoke fluent English!

NYC: Autumn Akita Sake Tasting 2010

“The Eleventh Autumn Akita Sake Tasting Event” ASC was established in June 2006 to introduce AKITA Prefecture’s sake, food, and goods to the people in the NYC area. This Autumn, ASC is proud to announce “The Akita Sake Tasting Event” on November 12, 2010. Please join over 20 visiting sake brewers from Akita and different […]

Chopsticks Interview October 2010

This month I had the honor of being interviewed alongside Kenichi Kuno by Chopsticks Magazine in the October issue on newstands now! October is sake month and Chopsticks asked us all kinds of questions about sake! What’s my golden rule about sake? Is premium sake safe for beginners? Do any sakes go well with desserts? […]

Hakkaisan Sake Restaurant Week September 2010

Hakkaisan Sake Brewery has been hosting a monthly “Hakkaisan Restaurant Week” which is a limited time each month when top NYC restaurants feature specials paired with Hakkaisan Sake. I wanted to explore this for myself and set out for 15 East Sushi Restaurant which was a participating restaurant in the Sept 2010 Hakkaisan Restaurant week. […]

NYC: Down To Moon Sake Tasting Sets at Sake Bar Decibel

Down To Moon Sake Tasting at Sake Bar Decibel Event: Down To Moon tasting flights with appetizers. Venue: Sake Bar Decibel Location: 240 E 9th Street (between Stuyvesant St & 2nd Ave), New York, NY 10003 Neighborhood: East Village Sake Bar Decibel 212-979-2733 240 East 9th Street (between 2nd & 3rd) New York NY

NYC: Japanese Culinary Center Tengumai Sake Event

“TENGUMAI” was born in Ishikawa prefecture at the Shata Brewery in 1823. “TENGUMAI” literally means “Dancing Goblin”. Long ago, the Kura (sake house) was surrounded by deep forest and the rustling of leaves sounded like what was interpreted as “a Goblin dancing when the wind blows”. The Tengumai name came from that tale. Commonly called […]

Seattle: Sake Nomi “Sake Day” Tasting menu

Saké Day” (Friday, October 1) Event Organizer’s Description: “Saké Day” (Friday, October 1) Beginning Friday, and continuing throughout the weekend (while supplies last), we’ll be celebrating Saké Day with a special tasting menu featuring: Kenbishi (Hyogo): The oldest saké brand in Japan (1505 — no, that is NOT a typo!), and featured at the first […]

Honolulu: Sake Day Tasting at The Sake Shop

Event Organizer description: This Friday is Sake Day, and of course we plan to celebrate it at the shop! Now I know you’re thinking that this is some fictitious holiday we made up as an excuse to drink more sake, but there really is a Sake Day. I would love to take credit for it’s […]

Mutual Trading Restaurant Show 2010

The New York Mutual Restaurant show is a yearly ‘to the trade’ event that showcases the best in food, restaurant supplies… and SAKE! This year was awesome and I got to taste some of the best sake that New York Mutual has to offer. One trend I saw emerging was some breweries serving sake warm […]

NYC: Celebrating National Sake Day at Sakagura

10月1日は日本酒の日です。 Celebrating October 1st, “National Sake Day” in Japan! Did you know that October 1st is “Sake no Hi”, National Sake Day, in Japan? This is the day the brewmasters all across the nation begin to produce their sake. We would like to extend our warmest gratitude to all of our “sake-lover” guests who have […]

New York Joy of Sake 2010

The Joy of Sake is an annual sake tasting that is a big as it gets in the USA. This year the New York Joy of sake event was at a new location: 82 Mercer st. in Soho. I think this was a great move and this year was one of the most enjoyable yet! […]

Tedorigawa Triple Gold Sake Tasting at Sakagura

I recently enjoyed a fantastic sake tasting event at Sakagura celebrating the sake from Tedorigawa. Mr. Ryuichi Yoshida, President of Tedorigawa Sake Brewery was on hand to introduce us all to is wonderful brews! In all, we tasted four of their delicious sakes. Tedorigawa Iki na Onna Daiginjo Tedorigawa Yamahai Daiginjo Tedorigawa Yamahai Junmai Tedorigawa […]

Joto Sake Tasting at the Good Fork Restaurant

How far would you travel for good sake? How about to the known edge of the sake universe? Or in other words: Red Hook! Henry Sidel, president of Joto Sake recently hosted an unforgettable sake night at the Good Fork Restaurant in far out there Red Hook, Brooklyn. It may have been hard to get […]

NYC: TEDORIGAWA TRIPLE GOLD WINNERS NIGHT at Sakagura

Yoshida Shuzo and Sakagura Present: TEDORIGAWA – TRIPLE GOLD WINNERS NIGHT WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2010 7:00 PM TO 9:00 PM Please join us for a tasting of three prize-winning entries from this year’s 2010 U.S. National Sake Appraisal. President, Mr. Ryuichi Yoshida from Tedorigawa will be on hand to talk about the great sakes of […]

Honolulu: Narutotai Sake Tasting at The Sake Shop

Event Organizer description: We have a very special tasting scheduled for this Saturday. We will be introducing a new sake to Hawaii for the very first time! Ms. Motoko Matsuura, Vice President of Honke Matsuura brewery, will be pouring her line of Narutotai Sake at the shop from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm. The sake […]

NYC: Joto Sake Dinner at The Good Fork

Five Course Joto Sake Dinner: Event organizer description: We’re taking advantage of a U.S. visit from Japanese sake brewers Kotaro Saito (Yuki No Bosha, Akita Prefecture) and Tyoshi Nakao (Nakao Brewery, Hiroshima Prefecture) to host a five course sake dinner on Monday, Sept 13th. Each course is designed with Good Fork care to specifically match […]

San Francisco: Sake Day 2010

October 1st – The Fifth Annual Sake Day Celebration 5th Annual Sake Day Friday, October 1st 2010 6-9PM Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California 1840 Sutter Street – (between Webster and Buchanan) Muni Bus #38, 22, 2, 3 Japan Center Garage Parking – 1610 Geary Blvd. Presented by True Sake and Nombe and […]

NYC: Hakkaisan Kaiseki Dinner at Kitano Hotel

On September 24th Hakubai Restaurant in The Kitano New York will be holding a special Kaiseki event called “Kaiseki Hajime no Ippo” (great first step to enjoying Kaiseki style food). Mr. Kojima, director/deputy general manager of The Kitano NY will guide all about Kaiseki of Hakubai, and sake teacher/sake samurai Timothy Sullivan will guide about […]

NYC: 1 or 8 Restaurant TEN SAKE sushi pairing

Event Organizer’s Description: Our next special dinner will be on Wednesday September 8th at 7PM. It will be a hard core sushi and sake pairing dinner served at the sushi bar. 10 nigiri will be paired with 10 different sake. Yes, 10 different sake. Because of the capacity of the sushi bar, we have to […]

Nanbu Bijin Sake and Moyashimon at JCC

Japanese Culinary Center and Nanbu Bijin Brewery recently co-sponsored an event celebrating Nanbu Bijin’s role in Moyashimon. Have you ever heard of the Japanese Manga Moyashimon (aka “Tales of Agriculture”)? It’s a fun story about a young student at a Japanese Agriculture university who has the unique ability to see and communicate with bacteria, koji […]

NYC: Nanbu Bijin Koji Event

Rice, water, yeast and koji are the four main ingredients that the sake is comprised of. The koji is rice that is steamed that also has cultivated koji mold spores. The official scientific name for this healthy mold is Aspergillus Oryzae. This mold creates enzymes that separate the rice starch into sugars that will be […]

Boston: Chilling with Sake event

Chilling with Sake Forget about hot Saké & branch out to the joys of chilled Saké. Learn the basics of Saké with wine writer & great Saké communicator Richard Auffrey. You’ll learn everything from history and brewing to modern selections and post-modern cocktails. Sushi too, by Super Fusion. October 13, 2010 (Wed) 6:30 PM – […]

NYC: Sake and Tapas at NY Vintners

New York Vintners Hosts: Premium Sake and Asian Tapas – September 7 (G) September 7th at 6:30-8:30pm Sake, much like wine, comes in a diverse array of types and styles and pairs well with almost any food. Served as an aperitif or paired with dinner, sake is well adapted to handle a diverse range of […]

NYC: Elements of Sake Class II: Pairing Sake and Food

Elements of Sake Class II: Pairing Sake and Food! Please join me!! I am teaching a sake class at the Astor center called the “Elements of Sake II: Pairing Sake and Food.” The perfect follow-up to The Elements of Saké or an ideal choice for any saké enthusiast eager to broaden their horizons! In Part […]

Dassai “Summer Otter” Set at Sakagura

In early August, I made time to visit a special tasting night at Sakagura. Mr. Kazuhiro Sakurai, executive director of Dassai Brewery (Asahi Shuzo) and three young Kurabito (sake brewery workers) came to New York to offer a unique tasting set. The delicious three sakes that were carefully selected (including ones yet-to-be introduced to the […]

NYC: Hakkaisan Tasting and Virtual Brewery Tour!!

Buy Tickets via PayPal: Hakkaisan Sake Brewery is hosting a very special sake tasting event! We’re taking you as close to visiting our Brewery as you can get without visiting Japan! We’ll start the evening with a virtual guided tour of the Hakkaisan Sake Brewery! Using a 3D multi-media presentation, you’ll tour the entire facility […]