True Stories – Chris Mines the Newsletter Archives

Greetings Sake Fans and Connoisseurs,

Chris here, back at it with another column for the True Sake Newsletter. I'm not mining anything this month, but I did want to write some tips and tricks as to how to maximize your True Sake online experience. Not only am I the Assistant Manager, the "Assistant to the Sake Portfolio Manager", and the "Assistant to the Sake Buyer", but I am also "Lead Shipping Logistics Analyst Technician" as well.

Here are a few key tips to get the most out of your True Sake online experience.

Shipping Hacks -

• Maximize the full potential of your sake box: I did the math, and the shipping fee is usually the same for shipping 6 to 12 bottles, as long as it's between 20 to 36 lbs. We have boxes that can fit 9 bottles and 12 bottles. So if you were thinking of ordering more than 6 bottles, you might as well get the most out of your shipping rate, and squeeze more bottles into the box. 
• A typical one-cup can stack with a 300ml bottle to fill up one bottle space. Good to know when getting the most out of your box shipment.
• If we have everything in stock, get your order in before 3pm and your order could potentially go out the same day.
• Make sure you choose the correct method during checkout! We’ve had several orders that were meant for shipping but were placed as store pick up. It’s a simple fix but does slow down how your order is being processed by a lot. Double check to make sure you picked the correct option!
• All packages require an adult signature. Since we are selling alcohol, a delivery driver cannot leave it on a doorstep. Please make sure someone over 21 years of age can sign for your package. UPS will make 3 attempts before they send it back to True Sake. Send it to a friend's house, or your work, or anywhere that someone you trust can sign for it.

Shipping Nama - 

• Nama OK! We ship namazake all over the United States. I've even shipped Den Nama to the humid East Coast in June, and it got there with no problem at all, true story! We don't use ice packs because the condensation from the ice packs actually ruins the integrity of the box. They do more harm than good here at True Sake. While we understand nama are fragile, they're not delicate flowers that need to be coddled. Of course, everyone's comfort level with nama varies, and we get that and we respect that. We are happy to make pasteurized recommendations too. We do suggest avoiding heat waves in the Summer time however. 
• Namazume and Namachozo are single pasteurized, so they travel no problem.
• Philip Harper's Tamagawa sake are incredibly sturdy. Even when they are considered nama, we are extremely confident that their sake will be fine when they arrive at your door. In fact, we're leaving out a Tamagawa Ice Breaker at room temperature on purpose. GASP OH THE HORROR.

Store Pick Up Hacks - 

• If you are coming to the store to shop for a limited item, reserve yours ahead of time by purchasing it through our website and holding it as an “In Store Pick Up”. We will hold your order for up to 30 days(unless you communicate otherwise). This works great for Secret Word Sake, Seasonal Sake, Limited Sake, etc. You don't have to worry about your sake selling out. I highly recommend this.
• But~! If your sake does happen to sell out, use the "NOTIFY WHEN AVAILABLE" function on our website. This is a real time notification. When we get it back in our store, you'll be notified in real time, one-time only. So when you get that notification, don't wait! Buy it online, and then select "In Store Pick Up" so we can hold it for you.
• If you buy something, and we're out of stock on something, or there was an inventory error, take advantage of our staff recommendations. All of our True Sake Cru members are certified in one way or another, and are quite knowledgeable about sake. We can make a recommendation based on price and flavor profile.

Delivery Options for San Francisco! - 

• If you're in San Francisco, we can have your order delivered via Rapidus or via Candlestick Courier. Make your purchase online using "UPS Ground" and then let us know you want it delivered instead. We'll refund you the difference if there is one.

New Store Arrivals - 

• Ever wonder what's new in the shop? This is how I window shop on the internet. I love looking at new store arrivals!! Here's the hack for True Sake: On the home page click on "Shop All Sake" and sort by "New to Old."

And that's pretty much it! This can guarantee that you get the most mileage out of your True Sake order. Thanks for reading! Till next time.