WORLD SAKE WEEK 2024

WE’RE THROWING A PARTY AT THE BREWERY THIS SATURDAY 10/5!

World Sake “Day” just isn’t enough, so we’re celebrating all week long, but our official party will be held in our taproom this Saturday! Food, Music, Sake, Crafts… No tickets required, just show up for a fun time- here’s a run of events for the day:

We brought back a limited amount of our Sake Day labeled Junmai for the party, so you can get yours at the brewery while we have them! Or, for “Build-a-Bottle”, you can meet our brewers on the production floor between 2-5pm, where they’ll guide you through labeling and decorating your very own bottle (See Maxine’s example below), then we’ll fill your bottle straight from the tank, cap it, and you’re good to go! Like build-a-bear, but we don’t have any charms to put in the bottle, so you’ll have to put your wish in the sake instead.

SHINOBU’S PUERTO RICO TRAVEL GUIDE

“Santurce is Bushwick of Puerto Rice,” was what I was told and I couldn’t agree more. Hermanos Lucca (322 Avenida José de Diego, San Juan) is located at the center of Santurce, geographically and metaphorically, and our trip started from here. It’s not an exaggeration to say Rolo and Willy Lucca (hermanos) created the craft beverage culture in San Juan. The space is filled with art and music. Friendly bartenders help you pick your night’s drink from a well curated list of natural wine, craft beer, and of course, craft sake. This is the spot where all the curious craft enthusiasts in San Juan hang out and you’ll soon find yourself feeling at home with long time friends.

Fidela Pizza (606 Ave. Hipódromo, San Juan.) is a short walk from the bar. Why pizza, not Puerto Rican food? Because Santurce is Bushwick. Hongos y Limòn pizza was one of the best I have ever had. Expect a long line unless your host knows everyone in the restaurant. To continue the chill night with local industry friends, go to La Penúltima (1359 Av. de la Constitución, San Juan.) This cozy local bar offers great bar food and cocktail, and will have craft sake from Bushwick soon! The owner Stephen is a long-time customer of Kato since our Central Ave era.

To experience authentic Japanese, check out Kemuri (624 Cll Ernesto Cerra, San Juan) for their Izakaya- and Yoshoku-style menu, perfectly paring with good craft sake. Unfortunately they were on vacation to Japan when I went there, but everyone told me Katsu curry is a must-try. Then you can walk to La Disquera (610 Calle Cerra, San Juan), a hidden sake paradise reminding me of Carousel, beautifully situated in the old record distribution warehouse. If lucky, you may catch the owner Simon spinning the records at the bar.

If we had a car, we would have driven for a few hours to the west to visit Senpai Ramen (PR-110 Km. 32.0, Maleza Alta, Aguadilla.) I met Chef Gerardo at Hermanos Lucca and we had a long conversation about sake and sake kasu and his passion to bring ramen and izakaya to Aguadilla, the region our own sales rep, Mar’s grandma was from.

You cannot skip Old San Juan, the historic center of Puerto Rico and KSW. Our Puerto Rican connection started when India, our sales staff working at the Central location, visited El Vino Crudo (320 C. de la Fortaleza, San Juan), a cute wine bar in the historical colonial building, during her vacation. The owner Keith tasted our sake and asked her if KSW would be sold in PR. Since then, bringing our sake to the island had become our dream.

Since you are on vacation, let’s forget about work (a.k.a. drinking sake) and relax on the beach. Ocean Park is a beach in Santurce, and easy access from Hermanos Lucca. If you didn’t bring beach clothes (hey my last beach vacation was many years ago), shop swim shorts and an aloha shirt at Electroshock (1811 C. Loíza, San Juan), a hip little vintage store where all the cool people in San Juan and from Bushwick shop.

Numero Uno Beach Hotel & Restaurant (1 C. Sta. Ana, San Juan) is a great ocean-view stay. The restaurant has beach seatings, where you can have morning coffee, morning beer and morning Piña Colada. Or, you can walk to Café Regina (1705 Calle la Loiza Esquina, C. Taft, San Juan,) the best coffee shop in Puerto Rico, for local coffee and papaya bowl. For lunch, Molini’s (1859 Puerto Rico, 1857 C. Loíza, San Juan) is a traditional Puerto Rican restaurant. The owner David friendly (and patiently) explains their daily menu, which we still had little idea, but everything was so good.

***

I asked Rolo how he found KSW. “On our last trip to NYC, we went to Rule of Thirds and tasted your Nigori. We wanted to try more but didn’t have a chance. Then we went to Tørst and found your sake again. So I just emailed you.”

In the morning of the last day when we were enjoying our last beer on the beach next to packed luggage, the hotel manager came by. “How was your stay in Puerto Rico?” she asked, continuing “by the way, I follow Hermanos Lucca and saw your event. I will come to try your sake there on my next day off!”

Santurce was Bushwick of Puerto Rice, where our sake connected us to great people and places organically. Thank you for treating us like old friends - definitely we are now. See you again soon!

- Shinobu

PS- Who's ready for warm sake at the taproom? Me neither- long live summer! But also, yeah I kinda am ready.