Sake Holiday – Thanksgiving Dinner With Your Favorite Turkeys
It’s that time of year to look around the True Sake store to see which bottles
have turkeys hanging around the bottle necks. This is almost a 20 year tradition that helps our customers navigate sake into their
Thanksgiving dinner. And yes,
every year we get more and more people switching out their red or white wines for amazing sakes that actually work better than any wine. (We stand by this.)
Herewith is a “Gang, Rafter, Dule, and Raffle” of turkeys known as Team True Sake to share with you two brews each that we feel would make an amazing partner at your Thanksgiving meal. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us to you and yours!
Cranberry Chris -
Hakuto Tokubetsu Junmai “Deep Faith” - Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture is having a hard time right now. They’ve been hit by the ‘24 New Years Day earthquake, and they’ve also recently been hit with heavy rain and flooding. “Deep Faith” is made by a husband-and-wife duo Kiichi and Akiko Hakuto. Great umami and just the right amount of sweetness.
Sohomare Tokubetsu Kimoto Junmai “Heart and Soul” - An elegant Kimoto sake to change it up a little. Notes of roasted grains, steamed rice, cereal, and loads of umami. Ricey, clean, and dry to clean up the palate. Made by master blenders from Tochigi Prefecture, using the best ingredients available (hint: it’s AAA from Hyogo).
Pumpkin Pie Zoe -
Shirataki Jozen Junmai Ginjo Hiyaoroshi - The lively, layered, semi-dry brew with aromas of cherry, honey, and nuttiness is for red wine lovers and is also perfect for pairing with turkey and grilled meats. These super-festive bottles will be a winner for Thanksgiving dinner.
Tsuchida Kimoto Junmai 90 "Shin" - The kimoto brewing technique and 90% milling rate brings magical elements to this bottle, that’s perfect for beer and whiskey lovers. It has a well-balanced sweetness, acidity, and umami with a clean finish, making it perfect for pairing with steak, roast chicken and cheese plates!
Mashed Potato Mei -
Kuroushi Junmai Ginjo "Black Bull" - This sake is complex and layered. Great as a big red wine substitute and it will go great with your stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, and turkey(and/or ham!).
Katsuyama Junmai Ginjo "Lei" - I choose this sake as for those who don't have the "traditional Thanksgiving spread". For those who have more of an East Asian kind of Thanksgiving, this Lei will pair perfectly with the roasted ducks, braised pork, garlic noodles, dumplings, fish sauces, and more!
Sweet Potato KJ -
Choryo Tokubetsu Junmai Omachi 2013 - I am eager to say that this omachi-based aged sake is one of the best sake in the entire store. This brew has endured 11 long years of waiting for the perfect lips to savor its goodness (that's you 😘). With a hefty dose of umami, this sake exudes notes of toasted nuts, dark chocolate and pound cake, while being dry as a martini and silky as a ballet slipper. This sake can be enjoyed completely chilled, room temp or warmed. I can't wait to drink this sake nurukan next to a succulent piece of dark turkey meat and my family's famous chestnut stuffing.
Tedorigawa Tsuyusanzen Junmai Daiginjo Nama 'A Thousand Drops of Dew' - This sake is mind-blowing in the sense that it is one of the very few highly priced Junmai Daiginjo Namazake that I have ever had the pleasure of trying. The pure elegance of its texture combined with a medium body; juxtaposed with flavorful cookie dough notes which stand regally next to delicate aromas of pineapple and herbs make this one of the most outstanding sake in the world. The diversity of flavor in this one brew alone can compete with the wide array of flavors on a full Thanksgiving day plate.
Gravy Matt -
Miroku Junmai Daiginjo - Brewed to be as “wine-like” as possible, this sake drinks crisp, clean, and elegant. Nothing about this brew overpowers, which is a testament to its beauty and subtlety of flavor. Let the food be the star of the show, with Miroku drinking “like water” while complimenting every dish.
Dan Yamahai Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu "Bizen Omachi" - This True Sake exclusive has quickly become my favorite for showcasing the incredible potential of umami. Pick a flavor, and you’ll probably find it: caramel, chocolate, red apple, brioche, salted pretzel — each note pairing beautifully with any dish, from savory to sweet. If you’re looking for a brew that can do it all, then Dan is a "dan" good choice.
Pecan Pie Jason -
Kinmon Akita X3 Amairo Koshu Junmai Genshu "Rose" - This was the first aged sake I experienced, and I remember it being fantastic. It’s packed with umami and savory notes like steamed rice, bacon and maple syrup, along with hints of fruit such as apple and cranberry. Made from heirloom red rice varietals, this bottle is super cool. The pretty rose color is a bonus.
Matsumidori Junmai Ginjo "S.tokyo" - I don’t usually gravitate toward sweeter styles, but when I first tasted this, I fell in love with it. It has aromas of peach, apricot, and lemon. While there’s definitely sweetness, it finishes cleanly and refreshingly. I think this could be a great companion to cranberry jam.
Matsumidori Junmai Ginjo "S.tokyo" - I don’t usually gravitate toward sweeter styles, but when I first tasted this, I fell in love with it. It has aromas of peach, apricot, and lemon. While there’s definitely sweetness, it finishes cleanly and refreshingly. I think this could be a great companion to cranberry jam.
Brussel Sprouts Beau -
Shinkame Junmai "Holy Turtle" - Basically this is one of those “sake drinker sake’s” that you earn your chops when you tell people you have tasted the Turtle God. It’s perfect for your turkey table, because it is full-bodied, rich, and wait for it – dry! But it’s that good kind of dry that we call “dry water.” Probably one of the most complex sakes in the store, but so very drinkable and we just got the 1.8L bottle in and it looks awesome! Happy Thanksgiving!
Tenmei Junmai Ginjo - My word for Tenmei is “Magical” because it’s one of the most balanced sakes in the store and that’s saying something. It is extremely food friendly, because this brew has been aged for more drinkable and pairing complexity. When I think of Thanksgiving I think of turkey last, and that is why this brew is the best for hitting all of the other flavor corners like gravy, cranberry, Brussels sprouts, stuffing, butter, mashed and sweet potatoes. Happy Bird-Day!
