Meet the Brewer: Sanyohai Shuzo + Gochoda Shuzo w. Jamie Graves
Sunday, October 1, 2023
We are honored to welcome two brewers from Japan whose sakes we'll be pouring with Jamie Graves, the Japanese Portfolio Manager at Skurnik Wines and Spirits! Graves has been working closely with Sanyohai Shuzo and Gochoda Shuzo to bring the freshest brews into the U.S.
Graves will join us from New York, bringing the next president of Gochoda Shuzo, Yumi Seto-san (Saga Prefecture) and Owner-Toji Tsubosaka-san of Sanyohai Shuzo (Hyogo Prefecture). We'll be featuring new sakes from Sanyohai Shuzo and Gochoda Shuzo, who make Azumaichi sake.
The sake brewery Gochoda Shuzo is based in the warm western part of Kyushu in Saga prefecture. Kyushu’s warmer temperatures and humid climate traditionally led to hotter fermentations than sake made in the cold north and naturally creates a bolder style. In 1988 the brewery began to pursue the unusual practice of growing all the rice for their sake themselves. They do almost everything else in house, from milling the rice on their own machines, building their own custom square wooden rice steamers, and cultivating their own strains of yeast. The result is a line of big bodied sake bursting with flavor that demonstrates its Kyushu roots but also highlights remarkable subtlety.
Founded in 1837, Sanyohai lies in the wooded mountains of western Hyogo, in the series of valleys that contain many of the world’s greatest fields for sake rice. With cool nights and warm, sunny days throughout the summer, the microclimates of the local Banshu area make ideal pockets for growing high grade Yamada Nishiki, considered the world’s best sake rice. The 7th generation of the Tsubosaka family to run Sanyohai is the ambitious Yuichi, who since 2015 has brought a renewed sense of passion, focus and desire to make the best possible expression of sake from the great conditions of Banshu to produce “Banshu Ikkon”.
WHAT: Meet the Brewery: Sanyohai Shuzo + Gochoda Shuzo w. Jamie Graves
WHEN: Sunday, October 1, 2023, 2pm-4pm
WHERE: Umami Mart Bar
4027 Broadway, Oakland CA 94611
ADMISSION: First come, first served. No reservations. 21+
We'll be tasting through the following sakes: Banshu Ikkon Super Dry ‘Kita Nishiki’ Junmai, Banshu Ikkon Super Dry Junmai Ginjo, Banshu Ikkon ‘Aiyama’ Junmai Ginjo, Azumaichi Junmai, and Azumaichi Junmai Ginjo.
Get a sticker pass for $35 to try all five sakes!
