The sakes that I selected for Sake Gumi this month are all premium versions of popular sakes that we carry in Oakland. Each and every bottle on the shelves of our Bottle System in Oakland is hand-selected after tasting and deliberation. It has...
In Japan, animals are everywhere. Besides Hello Kitty and Pikachu, animal imagery adorn temples, shrines, storefronts, crackers and candy. Last names are also fair game for animals. For example, my own last name includes 熊, the character for bear –...
Why is Jiro so happy, clutching his Sake Gumi bag? That's because we are offering one month free for members who sign up for Level One or Level Two, starting today until November 14! A perfect gift for the...
I've introduced the idea of warm sake several times in Sake Gumi. People still ask me, "Is warm sake bad? Do people warm sake to mask poor quality?" The short answer is a big fat, "No." Traditionally, sake is enjoyed warm, and that's how it...
Our Sake Gumi program is awesome - a subscription service that delivers two bottles of sake to members every month with pairing and serving suggestions. Sometimes the Sake Gumi selections are so good that our members demand that they go onto...
Hello Sake Gumi members! I’m happy to be taking over for Yoko this month to talk about pairing sake with my favorite food: noodles! But before that, a little about me - I co-own Umami Mart with Yoko and am a lover of adult beverages....
Every year, August is a time for reflection. As a Japanese-American (and as a human) it is a time to reflect upon the events of August 6, 1945, when the American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, dropped the world’s first atom...
This month's sakes are all from Yamagata Prefecture, to belatedly celebrate that Yamagata's sakes were granted Geographical Indication (G.I.) last December. So alongside Bordeaux wine, Darjeeling tea and Tuscan olive oil, Yamagata sakes are now recognized as a product that originates from a...
Pulling out balled-up leftover cheeses and one-cup sakes from my fridge is my weeknight, wind-down, go-to ritual after work. Even though some cheeses pair better with certain types of sake, I love nibbling on cheeses with whatever sakes happen to be rolling around in...
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
This month’s Sake Gumi features sakes that are fresh, breezy, and fruity. Each of these sakes embody elements I love about spring.
We selected sakes that would pair well with communal meals. We considered the fact that individuals within families all have different tastes.
Extra dry sakes are refreshing when enjoyed cold and take the edge off after a long day when served warm. Learn more 4 extra dry sakes in our sake club.
This month's sake club bottles include four fruity, cold sakes that pair well with the seafood and shellfish that are currently in season.
This month's sakes defy expectations and are undeniably funky. With mushroomy aromas or yeasty flavors, they throw curveballs in how they’ve been brewed.
Kimotos and yamahais are wild and intense in flavordue to the fact that lactic acid is allowed to develop naturally in the yeast mash.
October's Sake Gumi theme highlights the images of Japanese legends and folklore on sake labels. Many sakes are named after ghoulish characters. Learn more!
All of the sakes this month were chosen to exhibit how umami plays an important role in sake, and chosen for their umami-rich profiles.
Sakes chosen to celebrate our anniversary: Fisherman Sokujo Junmai Ginjo, Ohyama Tokubetsu Junmai, Enter.Sake Black Dot Honjozo, Shinpaku Junmai Daiginjo.
Sakes that represent disparate points on the sake spectrum: Akane 10.5, Okunomatsu Daiginjo Sparkling, Jozen Junmai Ginjo White, Kioke-Jikomi Iroha Kimoto.
