The Sake Shop

07/10/2025

Tenbu Junmai Ginjo
We’re welcoming back a customer favorite that we haven’t seen since 2023! 🤙🏼

“Creating a sake that can be paired with food” is Nishi Shuzo’s motto when brewing this ono sake!

It has a beautiful floral & juicy apple/peach 🍎🍑 aroma and drinks soft & creamy with notes of strawberry and melon on the entry followed with a gentle umami flavor that quickly lifts & disappears.

As mentioned earlier, this is a great food pairing sake so they recommend it with any style of dishes like Japanese, Chinese, Western and many more!

So try it out for an omakase night, or a rich dinner with steak or carbonara. Basically anything meaty or fried like even tempura will be a big hit 😋

Based in Kagoshima Prefecture, this sake brand was the first brewed by the popular shochu makers of Tomi No Hozan!

Kanpai!

Polishing Ratio: 50%
Rice: Yamadanishiki
ABV: 15%
SMV: +9

07/09/2025

📣That’s right, it’s almost time for our annual Kubota Sake Tasting & Sale at The Sake Shop but—NEW & IMPROVED!🍶

We always love to host our complimentary tasting at the shop with our guests coming all the way from Asahi Shuzo—The Makers of Kubota—to pour and talk with us about their wonderful sake, but we also know that there’s a lot of room for improvement from our past tastings with how busy it can get🤔

So! To make this year’s tasting an even better experience for you, we’re thankful to say that our guests from Asahi Shuzo will be here for TWO DAYS ✌🏼🎉

They’ll be pouring 7—yes, SEVEN, and maybe even more 👀—different Kubota sake almost all day from 1PM -7PM on Saturday, July 19th, and from 1PM - 4PM on Sunday, July 20th, so stop by whenever it’s the most convenient for you, your family, & friends 🤙🏼

We hope this change & longer hours let’s you take your time and enjoy this rare chance to taste so many of Kubota’s offering and to talk with the actual brewers behind the sake! From Chief Brewer, Director, Manager, & Representative of Asahi Shuzo it’s a jam packed lineup!

They’re famous for their light & smooth style of sake, many of which are karakuchi-style—dry, light, & crisp!

But, we’ll also be featuring their seasonal sake & others that display a lighter & touch of sweet when you sip😚

We’ll announce more of the Kubota Sake we’ll be tasting as we get closer to the day, so stay tune, and we can’t wait to see you soon☺️

If you have any questions feel free to comment or message us!

Mahalo & Kanpai!🍶
The Sake Shop
Nadine & Malia

07/04/2025

🌺🍶Casual Aloha Friday Sake Tasting today (07/04)!

Also yes we’re open all day this 4th of July, so stop by and feel free to ask for a sample!

We’ll be tasting through two sake today: Kisoji Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu & Kizakura Junmai Daiginjo 45.

Kanpai!

*Must be 21+

07/04/2025

Kisoji
Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu

Our 2nd Summer Nama ☀️🍶 has arrived!
From Nagano Prefecture, this refreshing sake is clean with some citrusy notes, a touch of umami, and a fresh fizzy feel 😚

There should even be some muscat, grapefruit, and lime on the nose when you take a sip!

It’s also the perfect sake to accompany almost anything salty or savory:
Olives, sautéed vegetables, BBQ, avocado & prosciutto salad, caprese, green curry, sautéed chorizo & potato w/garlic, yangnyeomjang chicken, chilled tomato & bean soup, and hot & sour noodle soup. (JPSA)

Sounds like a great sake to bring if you have a dinner or picnic planned for this 4th of July!

Crafted by Yukawa Brewery in Nagano Prefecture high up in the mountains 🗻, this brewery has been around since 1650 and is currently run & brewed by husband & wife!

Naoko Yugawa is both the brewery president & Koji maker while Shinichi Yugawa is their Toji (Master Brewer).

They’re also the 2nd oldest sake brewery in Nagano, being a beloved favorite of locals & travelers who visit this brewery that’s 936m above the sea level!🌊

Kanpai!

Rice: Yamadanishiki
Polishing Ratio: 45%
ABV: 15%
SMV: -10
Acidity: 1.2

07/03/2025

Kizakura Junmai Daiginjo 45
New to The Sake Shop!🍶

By Kizakura Shuzo from Kyoto Prefecture, this sake is a Junmai Daiginjo grade sake—polished to 45%—and has an incredibly reasonable price for such a premium grade at just $19.95!

With a gentle fruity & floral aroma of peach, apple, and pear it’s a great opener to the taste of melon, honeydew, chestnut, and a hint of herb.🍑🍎🍐

They recommend to pair it with anything seafood like oysters , scallops, lobsters, and more. You could even sip it with a chocolatey treat on the side!

Based in Kyoto, the brewery Kizakura Shuzo was founded in 1925 and is one of the larger sake breweries in Japan despite being rather new to the scene.

With such a large brewery, Kizakura Shuzo actually has two Toji (Brew Masters) instead of the typical one Toji to run the show, as well. Which makes sense as they not only produce sake but even beers too!

Everything from their workers, to the rice, and even the water (Fushimizu, which tends to make their sake more soft & smooth) works together to produce a wonderful sake line as well as some unique beer lineups:

Kyoto Matcha IPA
Kyoto Yuzu White Belgian Ale
(My favorite) Kyoto Kuromame Ale😚🍺
And more!

We’ll be tasting just their sake, though, on the 4th of July for Aloha Friday, so Kanpai!🍶

Rice: Yamadanishiki
Polishing Ratio: 45%
ABV: 15%
SMV: -10
Acidity: 1.2

07/01/2025

Esshu Sakura Biyori Ginjo
Last Spring Seasonal Sake🌱🍶

It’s time for our final spring sake to be announced and what better way than with our annual & limited sake from the makers of Kubota sake—Asahi Shuzo!

We have special ordered some cases of this seasonal beauty exclusively for our customers here in Hawaii that you’ll only find at The Sake Shop locally! 🌺

For those of you who already got to taste it from previous years, I’m sure you’ll agree that this sake drinks soft and goes down almost too easy—it is only 13% ABV!

Esshu is light, clean, very mild, and it drinks well on its own but also paired with hirame, lobster, crab, grilled chicken, & more.🦀🦞

“A Ginjo sake with light and comforting sweetness and a refined fragrance. Spring release only in limited quantities. Mild notes of sakura and light mint. Extremely refreshing, and perfect to celebrate the passing of the seasons.”

Even their label is a standout for being one of the few still made with washi paper! Artisans mix & blend the washi with safflower for dyeing to give an impression of spring.

Kanpai!

Rice: Senshuraku
Polishing Ratio: 55%
ABV: 13%
SMV: +1
Acidity: 0.9

06/27/2025

🌺🍶Casual Aloha Friday Sake Tasting today (06/27)!

Stop by and ask for a sample!

We’ll be tasting through two sake today: Kubota Junmai Ginjo Nigori & Kusudama Junmai Daiginjo Nama.

Kanpai!

*Must be 21+

06/26/2025

Amabuki Blood Orange Apollon
Umeshu

Named after the Greek God of the Sun☀️ this umeshu is a surprising mix of Blood Oranges, Lemon, Grapefruit, and Passionfruit!

Delicious on its own with a nice balance of sweet and tart, the sake base umeshu is perfection when mixed 1:1 with sparkling sake or yogurt.

Apollon is made by Amabuki Sake Brewery in Saga Prefecture, and they’re most known for using fruit yeasts for their sake brewing!

We can also confirm that the pairing with Mio Crisp Sparkling Sake is still a hit! Great for highballs, parties, or when you just want something refreshing😚🍶

This sparkling now comes in a large size too!

Kanpai!
ABV: 9%

06/25/2025

Kusudama Junmai Daiginjo Namazake
☀️The 1st Summer Seasonal Sake has arrived!🍶

It’s also the first time we’ve carried this high-end summer seasonal sake at our shop. Coming all the way from Gifu Prefecture, this sake is crafted by a brewery over 400 years old!

A classic Junmai Daiginjo with its fruity aroma of lychee, pear, and melon 🍐🍈but also very bright & refreshing thanks to being a namazake (unpasteurized sake).

This sake even uses the yeast of a flower, Abelia, and local Gifu rice, Hidahomare, to create this unique sake with a hint of umami!🌾

“Fresh and smooth mouth-feel with gentle sweetness of honey and custard are harmonized with subtle acidity.

Pairing: Sashimi, Grilled fish with salt, Yakitori with salt, Carpaccio, Wild vegetable tempura, Oden, Tofu, Steamed fish and grated turnip, Pot-au-feu, Chocolate, etc.”

Kanpai!

Polishing Ratio: 50%
ABV: 15.5%
SMV: +1
Acidity: 1.1

06/23/2025

Our special Spring Seasonal Esshu Sakura Biyori Ginjo Sake from Asahi Shuzo, Makers of Kubota, is back!

It’s our annual & limited edition seasonal sake from our friends at Asahi Shuzo in Niigata. Asahi Shuzo is a brewery that most of us know as the crafters of all things Kubota, including that highly sought after Kubota Manju Junmai Daiginjo.

06/20/2025

🌺🍶Casual Aloha Friday Sake Tasting today (06/20)!

Stop by and ask for a sample!

We’ll be tasting through two sake today: Tamano Hikari Bizen Omachi Junmai Daiginjo & Narutotai Ginjo Nama Genshu.

Kanpai!

*Must be 21+

06/20/2025

New to Hawaii!🌺 Kubota Junmai Ginjo Nigori🍶

We have a new Kubota in stock for you today, and it’s a Nigori or Cloudy Style at that! This is where the sake has a nice layer of creamy smooth rice 🌾

“A new expression from the legendary Kubota series has arrived. Crafted by Asahi Shuzo in Niigata, the Kubota Junmai Ginjo Nigori is a coarse-filtered cloudy sake that brings elegance to the bold. Its velvety texture, subtle sweetness, and refined ginjo aroma create a silky balance that’s both smooth and invigorating.

🌸 Flavor Profile
This sake opens with a juicy burst of fruitiness, layered over a rich mouthfeel that finishes crisp and dry—true to Niigata’s signature tanrei-karakuchi style. Chill to 5–10°C for peak enjoyment, or mix with your favorite fruits for a refreshing twist” (MTC).

Besides fruits, as a creamy sake it also goes great with spicy food! Cools da mouth😉

Can even try it with some yaki or grilled dishes, Korean BBQ anyone?😋

Kanpai!
(We won’t be sampling it for this Aloha Friday Tasting 🙇🏻‍♀️ but maybe next week!)

Rice: Gohyakumangoku
Polishing Ratio: 60%
ABV: 13%
SMV: -35
Acidity: 2.3