Wishing Everyone a Very Happy New Year!
Last week, when I brought up this final newsletter of the year, we were sitting in our taproom, gazing at the menu board that our designers and contractors hand-crafted together, and then back at the tanks, as our amazing team finished up production for the day (spraying water into our beloved floor drains, may I add). And it occurred to us that this time last year, we were still at our small spot on central, walking over to Troutman daily, as they dug up the ground and began building the structure that is now our koji room. At that time, this all seemed like a very exciting, far off dream we were working towards, and sometimes it still feels a little bit unreal to think that we’ve made it to the other side. I know we say it all the time, but it really is all thanks to you. Every time a regular walks a few extra blocks to try a new style on draft, or a wholesale customer features our sake as the pairing of the week, or a friend wears our t-shirt traveling- our community grows just a little bit more. This last year was about building a foundation and we can’t wait to see where it takes us in 2024. In fact, many of us will be ringing in the new year together at the brewery this year, so please come by our party for a special toast on the 31st (details on our insta). Cheers, everyone!
OTOSO, ANYONE?
In the past, we’ve made spice packets for you to make your own Otoso at home, but this year we’ve blended, infused, and bottled everything at the brewery- so all you have to do is pour a glass and wash the demons away. Please welcome the newest addition to our lineup, Otoso “Demon Slayer”. James described it best on our social media, “it’s an earthy and medicinal blend of spices that are infused in sake/mirin and drunk on the first day of the year with friends and family. The kanji for Otoso (屠蘇) represents “reviving the soul” and “slaughtering evil,” and the tradition is meant to cleanse and revitalize the body and spirit at the start of a new year.”
Our spice blend since year 1:
ODEN TO KEEP YOU WARM
Every year, as soon as the temperature drops, we start working in (extremely subtle) hints into conversations with Shinobu… “Man it’s getting chilly, you know what delicious soup would warm us all up?” or “Have you had oden yet this year? I sure haven’t”… stuff like that. Until he finally takes the “hints” and makes a massive round of soup for the whole team to enjoy. We look forward to it all year around and come to think about it, it’s probably time to start dropping hints for round two. Or maybe, now that we have the recipe to share, we could make some for him this time.
Here it is, Shinobu’s Oden Recipe for you all to try at home, featuring our sake/mirin and Dashi Okume’s incredible Tokyo Dashi packets.
Oden Recipe (Serves 4)
Soup
1/4 gal of Water
4 bags of Dashi Okume Tokyo Dashi (or more for richer broth!)
1/4 bottle of Kato Sake Works Junmai (or more for drier side)
1/4 bottle of Kato Sake Works Mirin (or more for sweeter side)
1/4 cup of soy sauce (or more if you’re from Tokyo)
Salt to taste
Ingredients
1 Large Daikon radish
1 lb frozen fish cake
4 eggs
Any other hot pot items that can hold the shape and keep the broth clear!
Condiments
Japanese karashi mustard
Directions
1. Make rich dashi stock by adding Dashi Okume Tokyo Dashi packs into cold water. Bring it to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Take the dashi packs out.
2. Add Kato Sake Works Junmai, Mirin, and soy sauce. Boil for another minute and turn the heat off.
3. Cut Daikon into 2 inch rounds, skin and “Kakushi Bouchou”. Boil with water for 15-20 minutes.
4. Rinse fish cake with hot water to wash off excess oil.
5. Make hard boiled egg.
6. Add #3-5 into the soup from #2 and simmer for 1 hour. (If you have time, cool it over night and reheat when serving. That’s what my grandma liked.)
7. Serve with karashi mustard on side
p.s. Everyone wish Evan the best of luck on his big adventure!