World Sake Day is almost here! On October 1st, Fulamingo will offer month-long discounts on special bottles to celebrate. (Head on over to our "Sales and Discounts" to find out more.) Further, the American Sake Association is hosting a massive online sake celebration. Read on for details.
As ripe sake rice harvests finish up and the weather cools down, Japan's winter-long sake brewing season kicks off. October 1st, known as Sake Day, is the official beginning of brewing season. Every year nation-wide celebrations (and lots of sake drinking) mark the event. In the past 10 years, cities around the world have began joining in the festivities as well, turning Japan's Sake Day into a World Sake Day celebration.
This year's World Sake Day is slated to be a special one: in response to Covid's big damper on things, the American Sake Association has turned up and put together a big and fun lineup of sake tastings, seminars, brewery tours, cooking demonstrations, and more. Their event runs from noon to 7pm on October 1st, and the whole thing costs only 5 bucks! (We've listed the entire schedule below. Click here to register.) For more info, check out their website, follow ASA on Insta @AmericanSakeAssociation, or Twitter @USAsakeASSOC. Use the hashtag #SakeDayUSA2020 to follow along and join in.
We are very excited about a couple seminars in particular: The first will be a class on sake pairing and cooking from one of our favorite sake importers, Vine Connections. Vine Connections demonstration called "Salt. Fat. Acid. Umami." will be featuring some of our sake favorites Endless Summer and Mana 1751. (Click the links to get the sake and taste along with the class!) The second class that we are excited about is Portland's own Sake Samurai Marcus Pakiser, teaching about two rare and unique brewed with yeast cultivated from apple flowers, Joto Daiginjo and Maboroshi "Black Box". (Both of which we have available, just click the links!) Finally, another Portlander, Namazake Paul, will be talking about pizza and sake pairing: two things we love, that absolutely do go together.
We are very excited to see that Covid-19 didn't completely lay waste to Sake Day this year, but rather spurred this opportunity for an even wider connection around celebrating all things sake. We encourage everyone to get some sake and join us in celebration!
The American Sake Association presents "Sake Day USA, 2020"
October 1st, 12-7pm PST.
(The link to the official website is here.)
Sake Day USA 2020 Lineup:
Noon - Sake Day Official Event Opening from Ambassador Yamanouchi
12:10pm - Hawaii: Islander Sake Brewery Tour and Grand Opening (Live!)
1:00pm - Vine Connections presents Sake Pairing and Cooking Demonstration: "Salt. Fat. Acid. Umami."
1:30pm - Aged Sake Exploration: How Old is Too Old?
2:00pm - Sake tasting with Sakeman!
2:30pm - Brooklyn Kura presents a deep dive on the topic of Citric Koji
3:00pm - VIP guest presentation
3:30pm - Sake Panel Discussion
4:00pm - Sake Revolution Podcast (Live!)
4:30pm - Marcus Pakiser presents the Amazing History of Apple Yeast
5:00pm - John Gautner: The Infrastructure of the Sake Industry in Japan
5:30pm - US Sake Brewers' Roundtable w/ Sake One, Den Sake, Moto-I, Colorado Sake Brewery, and Koto Brewery.
6:00pm - Kanpai Across America
6:30pm - Namazake Paul presents Sake and Pizza Pairing
7:00pm - "Nijiaki" Afterparty!
To register for all-day access and ensure your spot, please visit this link and submit a $5 tax deductible donation to the American Sake Association 501(c)(3). Your donation will go towards development of accessible and consumer friendly sake education materials and future events.