Sake no Jin / にいがた酒の陣

Grab Your Cup

The significance of this years "Sake-no-Jin" will go down in the books as a momentous occasion for Japanese sake, and the many brewers who have painstakingly held things together post 3-11.  

Just to give you a little more perspective on the magnitude of this fair.   It is the greatest sake event on earth, for two days only!  It is the coming together of all the breweries in one building in Niigata city to showcase the very best sake Niigata has to offer.   If you skip any other sake fair or event this year, then it's "ok," just don't miss this one.  Guest will be flying in from all over the world to partake in this elixir of the ancient gods.   Be there, or....Well....Just be there.







 ("Sake no Jin is an annual sake fair, attended by about one hundred sake producers from across Niigata, a prefecture  known for its exceptionally high quality soba, rice,and rice beer ").









If all goes well this year, Sake no jin will be held on March 16 and 17 at the Toki Messe convention center in Niigata City, about a two hour shinkansen ride from Tokyo.  

Here's what to look for and what I look forward to tasting: 

A couple of big names to remember would be Asahi Shuzo and Midori Gawa Shuzo!    

1) Tokugetsu and Asahi Yama300 and Kubota

2) Hakyuro

3) Kagatora

4) Tsuru no Tomo

5) Hakkaisan

6) Echigo Tsurukame

7)Manotsuru

8) Kirinzan

9) Midorikawa 

10) I look forward to eating delicious Hegi Soba and Tempura. 

11) And lastly Harashuzo = Great umami type sakes.  

I highly recommend sampling all of these offerings as most of these are pretty old and well established sake breweries and sake.  Try all of the new stuff too.   It's good to book accommodations early if you'll be staying saturday and sunday.

For people flying in from overseas I highly recommend trying the hard stuff to get outside of Japan.  Yes, there are some stores that offer rare seasonal sake in North America.   Keep in mind the Nama-genshu, and Tokubetsu sakes.   Focus on the  Junmai Nama Genshus and Junmai Nama Chozoshus.

Tickets can be purchased at convenience stores or at the door at Toki Messa.    

Have fun and see you there!



Link to the event