Sake Outlook 2025! (January 2025)

Me and Kayoko on Gumi Appreciation Night. Photos by Sachi

Happy 2025! I am still glowing from the Gumi Appreciation Night we held on December 7th. It was an extravaganza where members from all walks of Gumi (Sake, Shochu, and Whisky) inhabited our shop. We poured sake, shochu, and cocktails while y’all filled the room with conversation, laughter, and smiles. I am proud to say that the sake booth was the most popular with people curious to try all 12 expressions we were offering. The Gumi community is a huge reason why our small business engine keeps going. You inspire us to look for the best bottles and learn about new styles with old traditions. For that, we thank you!

As usual, Kayoko and I have a lot in store this year. We have been working on our book Everyday Sake since 2024, and this year will mark the final year before its release in Spring of 2026. We are proud to author the first book about sake released by a major U.S. publisher – Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House. We are so lucky to have a dream team for the book, including our editor Jennifer Sit in New York, illustrator Anders Arhoj in Copenhagen, and book agent (and fellow Gumi member) Jonah Straus right here in Oakland. Please excuse us while Kayoko and I put our heads down for the final stretch of this exciting project. We hope to make you proud.

Our year will kick off with a trip to Shiga and Kyoto at the end of this month with Anders. Our goal for the trip is to gather information and visual inspirations for the book. We’ll be visiting Kita Shuzo (who makes our Umami Mart Junmai), Matsuse Shuzo, and some bigger breweries centered in Kyoto. We’ll visit ceramicists who make sakeware and sake rice fields along the way. Follow us on Instagram to travel with us.

August 2025 will mark the 10 year anniversary of Sake Gumi and I can’t wait to celebrate that milestone with you. Kayoko and I will have something up our sleeves to mark the occasion. And then, in the blink of an eye, it’ll be time to all gather again for Gumi Appreciation Night at the end of the year!

This month, I was curious to find out about what the 2025 sake outlook was for some of our favorite importers. Please enjoy the notes on the reverse for their insights along with descriptions and serving suggestions for the bottles.

Kanpai.

Yoko (Co-Founder, Umami Mart)

Gokyo Five Red Kioke Kimoto Junmai

Saikai Brewing (Yamaguchi, Japan)

Seimaibuai: Nihonbare + Yamada Nishiki 60%, SMV: +12, Acidity: 2.2, Yeast: 901

Japan Prestige Sake (JPS) is an importer in Torrance, CA that we rely on for fresh seasonal sakes and nerdy releases like this one that’s been fermented in kioke (wooden barrels) in the kimoto method. This complex sake offers aromas of raisin, and cedar; and flavors of umami and cream cheese, with a black tea finish. The Gokyo Five series is new to the U.S., and comes in a variety of colors, with all of them fermented in kioke – an obsession of the brewers at Saikai. Mariko Yamazaki (VP of JPS) suggests pairing this sake warm with rich foods like fried chicken or pork cutlet. I loved it room temperature with pasta vongole. Yamazaki’s father started JPS in 1975, and she currently carries the torch after her late husband Kazu (whom we all miss dearly) passed in October of 2023. As for Yamazaki’s 2025 plans, she says, “I’ll continue to take up the challenge of bringing fresh, seasonal nama and rare sake to the U.S. The challenges associated with bringing them here include maintaining fresh rotation and ensuring optimal temperature control during container shipping. I particularly look forward to introducing tomizu jikomi, which is a full-bodied, juicy sake style from the 1830s.” 

Hamafukutsuru Bizen Omachi Daiginjo

Hamafukutsuru Gura (Hyogo, Japan)

Seimaibuai: Omachi + Yamada Nishiki 55%, SMV: +3, Acidity: 1.5, Yeast: K1801, K1901

Since 2018, founder Satoshi Tanaka of East West Sake tells me that, “Our curating goal is to find sakes that have unique stories, are innovative, where brewers challenge the norms of sake making.” Hailing from Kobe, this daiginjo is made with Omachi rice, local water rich in minerals and balances the rich and bold style of Kobe sakes with the elegance of daiginjo. Enjoy aromas of baked apples and bananas, and juicy flavors of green melon. Polished Yamada Nishiki peaks through on the palette with flavors of green melon. Since this sake comes from Kobe, Tanaka’s pairing suggestion seems appropriate, “Enjoy chilled with Wagyu beef dipped in wasabi and soy sauce. Or try with a buttery sole meuniere.” I enjoyed this sake with persimmon vinaigrette salad and shiitake sauteed in butter. When asked what 2025 has in store for them, Tanaka replied, “The American public and the trade are very thirsty for more knowledge of sake so that they can better enjoy the beverage. We hope to spend more time and effort in sake education.” I’m on board!

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