Sake is an ancient fermented rice drink that has been around for more than 2,000 years. And an upcoming nationally traveling festival that’s making its West Coast debut celebrating the alcoholic drink aims to continue thousands of years of tradition by introducing the younger crowd to this versatile beverage.
“This is going to be unlike many similar events in the L.A. area in that we’re aiming for a younger demographic. We’re going to have a fun, festive, youthful kind of vibe for this festival,” said Weston Konishi, president of the Sake Brewers Association of North America, which is organizing the American Craft Sake Fest.
The 4-8 p.m. Sept. 5 event, which is being co-hosted by Yama Sushi Marketplace, local sake brewer Sawtelle Sake and promotional company Story Boldly, will feature tastings from more than 100 different kinds of sake from several brewers. Participants include New York’s Dassai Blue, which specializes in high-end Junmai Daiginjo sake and Brookly Kura, which makes sake specifically intended to be paired with food. Local breweries include Los Angeles’ Sawtelle Sake, known for using locally grown California rice in its sake, and Narumi Craft Sake, a Junmai Daiginjo brand created by Yama Sushi Marketplace.
“Sake is an extremely wide-ranging beverage. There are sweet sakes, dry sakes, sakes that are better cold rather than hot, there are cloudy and clear sakes, so it really runs the gamut. I would say there are more varieties of sake than there are beer or wine,” Konishi said.
There are of course breweries coming from Japan for the festival including respected sake makers, Hakkaisan, which was founded in 1922 at the foot of Mount Hakkai in Japan. The brewery uses snowmelt water and is known for a clean, crisp, and dry style.
Konishi hopes all the variety of sake at the festival will appeal to sake connoisseurs as well as encourage new young drinkers to explore this ancient drink.
“We know we have a world class product and the younger generation consumers want craft beverages more than ever and that’s what sake is all about. So we’re there to showcase that as well as the tradition of sake,” he said.
And to make sure people leave with more knowledge of sake there are panels on sake tasting and the history of sake and the Sake School of America will also be hosting educational sessions throughput the day.
Besides sipping on the smooth traditional drink, people will be able to munch on food pairings from local chefs that include sushi from Yama Sushi Marketplace plus other vendors, attend seminars and dance to DJ tunes. There will also be a live bluefin tuna cutting demonstration and yes, people will be able to get tasting portions of the freshly cut approximately 200lbs tuna.
American Craft Sake Fest
When: 4-8 p.m. Sept. 5
Where: Lumen West LA venue, 11355 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles
Cost: Tickets $100-$250
Information: https://www.craftsakefest.com/