HAPPY PRIDE, EVERYONE <
Pride month has arrived and we’re so excited to celebrate. This year, Delaney did us the honor of writing a reflection for the Pride Bottle and choosing The Okra Project as the organization for our donation, he’ll tell you a little bit more about that below. If you’re not in the area and would still like to donate to their project, you can learn more and do so directly here. And if you’d like to come out and show your support, we’ll be participating in some fun events and will update you here!
Here’s a note from Delaney:
Happy Pride everyone! If you haven’t met me in the taproom already, my name is Delaney and I’m a bartender at KSW. I had the pleasure of writing the label for our Pride sake bottle this year, as well as choosing the organization that we’ll be donating $5 per bottle purchase to. All donations will be given to The Okra Project, a Brooklyn-based collective dedicated to providing mutual aid to Black, trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people. I would like to thank my beautiful friends Zad Bull and Lexi Webster for recommending this amazing organization.
I’m very grateful to be surrounded by so many queer and trans people. When I first moved to New York, I was a few months post top surgery and amidst lots of life changes. Now, I’m two years post top surgery and three years on testosterone, and I can confidently say that I’m at home here in Brooklyn as much as I feel at home in my body. All of that is thanks to my chosen family, who taught me to celebrate and advocate for the person I am. I love knowing that I can extend that support to queer and trans folx stopping by for sake and good company. Please show up and love your communities this month and I can’t wait to see you all for Pride!
-Delaney
GREEN PLUMS ARE IN SEASON…
We just started our first batch of Umeshu (Plum Wine)! Our team has been wanting to try this out for a little while, and we’re so excited to give it our first go. This batch will be a small trial, but we’ll keep you updated in a few months to let ya know how it’s going… hopefully it’ll join our lineup soon.
Here’s a note from Shinobu:
A big glass jar of amber-colored Umeshu was always in my grandparents’ closet in Koenji. It was my grandpa’s favorite alcohol because it’s sweet. He didn’t drink much. Beer and sake are too dry for him. So when my grandma (who was much more of a drinker) had a glass or two of sake at the dinner, he had a small glass of Umeshu on ice and sipped it with a big smile.
I “helped” my grandma making Umeshu a few times when she put Shochu and plums in a jar with rock sugar, which I liked licking like a candy. We were in a sun-filled room with tatami floor and the sunshine scattered through the clear jar and translucent sugar and green plums. It was like looking into a kaleidoscope and I enjoyed looking into the magical jar for long time. Or maybe it was the smell of Shochu that made me buzzed.
Then she put the jar at the back of the closet and told me to wait for six months. Can I wait that long? Well, let’s see how our jar goes.
-Shinobu
WE’RE BACK AT THE BUSHWICK FARMER’S MARKET
We’re back, baby! Last year we were too swamped with the buildout to participate, but we missed being a part of the community of farmers, bakers, and other local craftsmen coming together every Saturday morning for a market at Maria Hernandez Park. We’ll be there selling bottles from 9am- 3pm and are offering sample tastes to help you decide what you like (though if you prefer sake by the glass, our brewery/taproom is just a few blocks away and opens at 11am). We’re looking forward to a fun summer at the market and hope to see you there- you can find more information here. Cheers!
PS- We thought you may need a little extra cooling down now that it’s summer… stay tuned for a new taproom beverage!