Everyday Sake: The Go-To Guide for Choosing, Pairing + Serving by Yoko Kumano + Kayoko Akabori
Dive into the exciting world of sake with this vibrant, illustrated guide from Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori, the trailblazing founders of Umami Mart in Oakland.
Sake is more than just a drink for sushi night—it’s aromatic, food-friendly, and endlessly drinkable. Whether you're pairing it with pizza, roast chicken, or pasta Bolognese, sake brings unexpected joy to any table.
Everyday Sake makes this iconic Japanese beverage simple, delicious, and fun. Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori—founders of Oakland’s Umami Mart—have spent over a decade selling, sipping, and teaching all things sake. They’ve answered every real-life question—Can I use a wine glass? Is hot sake a crime? Does it go with cheese? How long does an open bottle last?—and now they’ve distilled their real-world expertise in this approachable, illustrated guide.
Inside, you’ll find everything you need to drink with confidence: how to taste and talk about sake, read bottle labels and navigate menus, and perfectly pair sake with your favorite meals. Packed with expert insights, practical tips, and helpful visuals illustrated by Anders Arhoj, this book is your go-to companion for discovering the joy of sake—any night of the week.
Features:
- Authors: Kayoko Akabori + Yoko Kumano
- Illustrator: Anders Arhoj
- Pages: 224
- Hardcover, full color
- Published by Clarkson Potter
Pre-order from other retailers: Amazon, BN, Powell's, Target
For copies outside of the U.S. click here
Tags: Beginner, Book, Books, Introduction, Sake, Umami mart, Umami mart original
A must have, whether you are a sake beginner or a person with more koji knowledge. Yoko and Kayoko cover everything you want to know about sake, and break it down so that it is easy to digest and fun to read! I will return to Everyday Sake again and again.
Everyday Sake is the guide I wish everyone had when discovering sake for the first time—warm, clear, and refreshingly unpretentious. Yoko and Kayoko bring both expertise and genuine joy to every page, breaking down technique and tradition in a way that feels effortless.
Kayoko and Yoko have created the definitive roadmap for readers of all experience levels to learn about sake of all types for every conceivable venue in concise, accessible, easy to reference illustrated chapters that provide the technical vocabulary and critical framework to select the ideal sake for your next gathering.
Yoko and Kayoko have distilled the complexity of sake into pure joy—Everyday Sake is as refreshing and illuminating as the drink itself. Their passion and clarity remind me that mastery begins with curiosity, shared over a well-chosen glass.
Yoko and Kayoko have a remarkable talent for making sake approachable and enjoyable for everyone. To have access to their aesthetic and knowledge in print make this colorful book such a fun, accessible teaching tool and reference book all in one.
This is an absolutely definitive guide to the wide and wonderful world of sake! As fun as it is informative, Everyday Sake demystifies one of the greatest and most misunderstood beverages.
Not surprisingly Yoko and Kayoko’s book is as fun, approachable, and wise as they and their shop are. They define and organize this beautiful, historic drink while allowing it to remain magic and untamed.
What wine did for terroir, this book does for koji. You’ll never look at rice, yeast, or water the same way again.