Nomidachi News Archive
February 2014
February 26
Greetings, Nomidachi! A very quick reminder, before we move on to the "meat" of this missive. As with most establishments serving alcoholic beverages to discerning adults in this country with deep-seated, complex Puritanical roots, Friday and Saturday tend to be our busiest days at Sak� Nomi. And, recognizing that Seattleites tend to be a bit more socially mobile on the weekend, we plan many of our events on those days, hoping that as many of you as possible can attend. However, perhaps the best kept secret of "Seattle's best kept secret," (a title we're pretty much willing to relinquish) is that the "off" days (Sunday- Thursday) are excellent days on which to imbibe and explore the world of premium sake. Since we're not usually as busy on those days, it affords us the opportunity to spend more quality sake education time with our guests who seek it. So, if you're looking to introduce friends or colleagues to the delicious possibilities of premium sake, Sunday thru Thursday (or, basically, any day ending in "-y") can be a good time to do it. We hope to see you soon! Arigato & Kanpai!
Johnnie & Taiko |
February 18
|
Greetings, Nomidachi!
Kanpai!
Before we make quick mention of some things going on at Sak� Nomi this week, a quick word of thanks.
Doing what we've been doing six days a week for the past 6-1/2 years, you can imagine that we get the same types of questions from curious guests on a fairly regular basis. One is a simple, "Why?" As in, "Why a sake shop and tasting bar?" A somewhat roundabout explanation is on the website, here, but when recently asked about our motivation in this endeavor, I was reminded of the most basic, selfish reason: Taiko and I wanted to create an atmosphere in which WE would like to hang out and drink good sake. Seeing our guests and nomidachi enjoy what we've built, and hearing them express their appreciation for the premium sake and the environment we present is terrifically rewarding for us. Thank you for that. The other phenomenon that really knocks us out is how often our customers comment on the quality of our . . . other customers! Good people must be attracted to good sake -- at least that's the theory we're going with for now. So, again, thank you for your patronage and kind encouragement and appreciation. Happenings This Week
Niigata Sake Selections Tasting: Friday, Feb. 21 @ 5 pm Niigata Sake Selections is the importer of a group of fantastic sake from the "Snow Country" of Niigata prefecture. Years ago, some of their brews were among of our most popular, best-selling sake. Unfortunately, there were some distribution difficulties and they became unavailable for a while, but we are thrilled to announce that they are back! Please join us this Friday, Feb. 21, from 5 pm, when we will be joined by Mr. Yuji Murai (of Orcas Distributing) for a special "re-introduction" of these tasty brews. Be sure to keep an eye out for Kiminoi Kurahiden "Brewery's Secret" Junmai Ginjo ($45/720 ml). Why? It's one of Johnnie's all-time favorites, brewed in the umami-laden (a hint of caramel) yamahai style, and a great example of how a sake can be dry and rich at the same time.
Houraisen "Wa" Junmai Ginjo: It's back And we say, "Oh, yeah!"Also arriving this Friday is one of Johnnie's personal favorites/"desert island" sake, Houraisen "Wa" Junmai Ginjo. Unavailable for the past year or so, "Wa" is being offered to us by our distributor at a special "re-introductory" discount, and we wanted to pass those savings along to you. Houraisen "Wa" ("Harmony") is soft, full, rich, and mildly sweet,  with a gentle acidity. It's a great example of a sake that shows a lot of fruit (definitely a grape thing going on there), yet it is not unpleasantly or cloyingly sweet. A mellow sake that is meant for slow, relaxed enjoyment (good luck with that!), the "wa" in the name means "harmony," and comes from the proverb, "Harmony produces good sake."Normally priced at $65/720 ml bottle, we'll be able to offer a limited number of bottles at $55 each, with a 10% "case" discount for confirmed orders of 6 or more bottles. We plan on having some of this sake available for tasting and purchase by the glass or bottle this weekend, but if you can't make it down to the shop and would like to order a bottle or two, please contact us (phone: 206-467-7253; e-mail: info@sakenomi.us), by Thursday, Feb. 20, and we'll be glad to set something aside for you. Sake Nomi Cinema: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan  It's been a long time in the works, but with all the international good cheer surrounding the Winter Games in Sochi, the timing just seems right to unleash this 2006 cinematic spectacle.Please join us this Saturday, Feb. 22 @ 8 pm for some sake-fuelled cross-cultural mayhem. Johnnie & Taiko |
February 13
|
Konnichi wa, Nomidachi!
sl'Just a quick blast to let you know about a special "themed" sake tasting we'll be doing throughout the weekend.
A couple of our favorite sake happen to have "heart" in their names, and since they are ones we feel fly a little under the radar and are perhaps under-appreciated, we thought this weekend would be a great time to share them with our nomidachi. In addition to our pretty fabulous "regular" menu selections, Friday, February 14 from about 5 pm, and throughout the weekend, while supplies last, we'll also be featuring the following 3 brews by the glass and flight:  *Nanbu Bijin "Shinpaku" Junmai DaiginjoShinpaku ("white heart") refers to the starchy center of the sake rice grain. This "southern beauty" (Nanbu Bijin) from northern Japan is an elegant, classy, and extremely economical ($40/720 ml) junmai daiginjo brewed with the "king" of sake rice, Yamada Nishiki. *Tamagawa "Heart of Oak" Tokubetsu Junmai  Extremely versatile as far as food-pairing and serving temperature are concerned, this is a sake with meat on its bones and features a little berry zing. Brewed with loving care by British toji, Philip Harper.  *Ginkoubai Hannya Tou Umeshu Perhaps our most unique offering to date, this sweet (SMV:-140) and spicy (infused with red pepper) plum sake has been incredibly popular, and we're featuring it again this weekend, since we've quickly sold out of it every time we've poured it, and we'd like everyone to have a chance to taste it. While we're at it, we can't resist repeating the brewery's story behind it: "The legend with Hannya is that she was once a noble lady of the court who became so crazed with jealousy after learning her husband had cheated on her that she turned into a demon. This story is mirrored in the product itself, as its initial sweet taste is followed by a spicy finish, just as sweet, happy times in life can often be followed by more difficult periods of chaos." If you have a chance, please stop by this weekend for a unique, "hearty" tasting experience. Thanks & Kanpai! Johnnie & Taiko Stroud Sak� Nomi |
Hours
Tuesday-Thursday: 2pm - 8pm
Friday-Saturday: 2pm - 10pm
Please follow us @ website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
Home
Saké Basics
Nomidachi News
Sake Nomi Events
Contact Us
Sake Nomi Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved
iBleedPixels Hand-crafted in Kochi City, Kochi Japan.