The Joy
of Sake returns to New York
on September 23 for a magical evening of sake tastings and
delicacies from fourteen of
New York's
finest restaurants. The event will be held at 82 Mercer in Soho from 6PM to 9PM.
Over 300
labels from every region of Japan will be available for tasting
at this ultimate celebration of the art of sake brewing.
This
year, events will be held in Honolulu on August
19, San Francisco on September
9 and New York on September 23. With high demand
for tickets, the venues have steadily grown in size,
reflecting the popularity of both the event and sake
itself. In New York, the tasting now takes place at the
wonderful new event venue 82 Mercer. Among
the acclaimed restaurants participating are Bond Street, 15 East, Woo Lae Oak, Geisha,
Sushi Samba, Sakagura and En Japanese Brasserie.
The Joy
of Sake offers a rare opportunity to sample
outstanding labels in peak condition (freshness and proper
handling are key to sake quality once bottled), many of
which are not otherwise available in the US. Attendees will be able to
sample the full spectrum of sake styles in the junmai, ginjo
and daiginjo categories, including recipients of silver and
gold awards from the U.S. National Sake Appraisal, a
rigorous blind tasting conducted by judges from the U.S. and
Japan every year prior to the Joy of Sake events. The
diversity and complexity of premium sake compares favorably
with that of wine, and it pairs easily with a variety of
cuisines, from Asian and Japanese to Contemporary American
and French.
As
interest in Japanese cuisine has exploded in this country
with America�s focus on healthier eating,
Japanese restaurants have grown in number, and many of them
make the annual top 10 lists in respected food & wine media.
Sake continues to be one of the fastest growing segments of
the beverage market, with imports of Japanese
sake doubling roughly every seven years. The Joy of Sake
anticipated and aided the awakening of interest in sake in America with its first public tasting in
Honolulu in
2001, held in conjunction with the first U.S. National Sake
Appraisal.
The Joy of Sake traveled to San
Francisco for the first time in 2003 and to
New York in 2004.
The
schedule of The Joy of Sake Tastings for 2010 is as
follows:
Honolulu
August 19
Honolulu Academy of the Arts
San
Francisco
September 9
Yoshi's San
Francisco
New York
September 23
82 Mercer
Ticket
sales and sponsorships will support the efforts of The Joy
of Sake, a not for profit organization whose mission is to
foster appreciation for the traditional art of sake-brewing.
It provides opportunities for people outside Japan to obtain
authentic knowledge about sake through seminars and tasting
events.
Information on this year's Joy of Sake, as well as a video
of last year's events, may be found at www.joyofsake.com.