Den Sake Brewery

California is blessed with a climate and land that have made it famous for both agriculture and livestock, and it is also known as a rice-growing region. Many restaurants here embrace a farm-to-table style, and the state is also home to world-renowned wine regions such as Napa and Sonoma. In these places, wine and food culture have grown together, creating an environment where people’s knowledge and appreciation of both are remarkably high. Since moving here from Japan in 2000, I have been deeply inspired by this culture of wine and food. Experiencing how naturally they are woven into everyday life made me want to create sake that could resonate within this landscape. With that in mind, I founded Den Sake Brewery in Oakland in 2017, drawing on traditional Japanese brewing techniques while staying closely connected to the food culture of California. Because the initial capital was far from enough to purchase standard brewing equipment, almost everything we used had to be handmade or adapted. We sourced second-hand machines from wineries and food production facilities and modified them ourselves. The koji room, along with the tables and boxes used inside, was built by hand from wood native to California. Even the press was crafted by us in the style of Haneki-shibori (羽木搾り）and lever presses（天秤搾り）—methods now rarely seen even in Japan. What began as necessity became an expression of craftsmanship that continues to define the brewery. Over the years, sake has steadily found its place here. Today, it is served in many Western-style restaurants across the region, and people’s understanding of sake has grown considerably compared to when I first entered the industry two decades ago. This growing awareness has been encouraging and has reinforced my belief that sake can thrive in this part of the world. In 2026, Den Sake will relocate from Oakland to neighboring San Francisco. This move represents more than just a change of address—it is an opportunity to share sake with a wider audience and to take on a stronger role as a place where the traditions of Japanese brewing meet the evolving food culture of California. I look forward to seeing how sake will continue to develop its own identity here and contribute to the richness of this region’s dining culture.

カリフォルニアの食文化を念頭に、日本の醸造技術で仕込んだ私たちの酒を、日本の酒通の方々がどのように感じてくださるのか、とても楽しみにしています。