A FEBRUARY FOR THE BOOKS

Last weekend we got to participate in our very first NYC Brewer’s Guild Opening Bash. What an honor to be pouring sake alongside all of the delicious NY State beers that we know and love (+our fellow sake brewers at Brooklyn Kura!). If you ask Shinobu about his first years in New York- dreaming up, experimenting with, and diligently planning what is now Kato Sake Works- he’ll inevitably tell you of the times he spent sitting at KCBC’s taproom bar, and how many of his first friendships with the bartenders and brewers there opened up the community we now share. Needless to say, having our booth next to them and our other brewer friends last week was a big day for all of us, and a pinch-me moment for Shinobu.

To continue the celebrations, this Friday evening (tomorrow, 3/1!), we’re co-hosting a brewer’s meet & greet with KCBC at Tørst! There’s a huge line-up of sake and beer for you to choose from, and we are so excited to close out NYC Craft Beer Week together! Come join us from 5-7pm.

OMAKASE with CHEF MURAKAMI

Our good friend & Michelin starred- Chef Murakami will be transforming our taproom counter into an omakase experience complete with Kato Sake pairings this Sunday, and there are just a few seats left.

We’d love for you to join us and for some more insight on the event, James said it best:

We have an extra-special treat for fans of KSW, sushi, and fine dining: on Sunday, 3/3 we will be hosting Chef Murakami for an omakase sushi tasting menu! When we first opened our Troutman brewery, Murakami-san made sushi for us to celebrate, and we’ve been itching to bring him back to share his skills with you ever since. While many of you are used to a casual vibe at the KSW taproom, this time we’ll be transforming our bar counter into a fancy dining space for you to fully enjoy the tasting menu and sake pairing in style. This mouthwatering one-of-a-kind experience will have very limited seating with a price of $200 per-person. There will be three opportunities to try the menu: 1pm, 5pm and 6:45pm, each with 10 available seats. Make sure you reserve your spot before they’re all gone! Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drink your favorite sake alongside the decadent selection of treats that our friend Chef Murakami has prepared for us.

The menu:

OUR TASTING + TOUR PROGRAM IS BACK! MEET DELANEY

Hello everyone! My name is Delaney Benstead and I’m a bartender at Kato Sake Works. Before KSW I worked for five years in craft cocktail bars in New York and Boston. The knowledge and experience I acquired in other bars inspired me to create the cocktail program at Kato. I want guests to experience our sake in a variety of ways, be it straight up or as an ingredient in a cocktail. Those who are new to drinking sake and want to dip their toes in while keeping it low ABV (the cocktails range between 8-13% ABV) are welcome to enjoy one of our taproom cocktails. It’s been a fun challenge to try and keep sake the star of a drink. With a more subtle flavor profile compared to other spirits, sake can easily get masked by competing ingredients. One solution I’ve found is by incorporating the actual ingredients of our sake like kasu and koji into the recipe. We currently have one cocktail a season, but we hope to expand the menu and provide more drink choices, exploring lower ABV and non-alcoholic options. 

I’m also leading a new tasting program called, “Let’s Taste Some Sake!” I’ll guide you through many of the sake styles we produce (including junmai, nigori, and nama) and what makes them unique. We’ll taste each one together and go in depth on flavor profile, aroma, texture, temperature, and more. For those who are new to sake, this is a great place to start! It’s also perfect for people who are familiar with sake and want to try products that are only available at the brewery. With limited seating, tastings are 90 minutes and a delightful way to learn what you like and why you like it. 

Since joining the KSW team, I’ve loved every minute of it. As a trans person, it’s important for me to find a safe place to be myself and be celebrated for the work that I do. I hope to extend that welcome to other trans and queer people, and that they can come to the taproom to relax and enjoy a drink with friends. If you see me working behind the bar, please feel free to ask about sake, how I make the cocktails, or any general questions about the taproom and events. Can’t wait for you to join us at the brewery!

For more information on booking Tasting & Tour programs (including a production/brewer-focused experience with Shinobu, check our school of sake page!

PS- It’s almost Anniversary time… pink is on the horizon!