Sake, sake, sake BOMB! Asahi Shuzo, one of Japan’s top sake producers behind the sake brand Dassai, recently opened a location in New York, and it’s only a 2 hour drive from NYC!
The 55,000-square-foot brewery and tasting room opened this past weekend in Hyde Park, Dutchess County near the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the opening coinciding with the launch of their new U.S. brand, Dassai Blue.
The space, which cost $80 million, consists of two buildings–the brewery and a rice polishing facility.
Visitors can witness the brewing process firsthand through multiple windows that look into various production rooms while also enjoying a combination of both modern and traditional design through a tin roof, burnt cedar walls, and wood incorporated throughout.
Beyond producing sake, they’ll also be collaborating with the CIA to further the education and awareness of sake in the U.S.
Over the past thirty years, Dassai has experienced exponential growth not only in Japan but globally as well. A Junmai Daiginjo-only sake, Dassai, made from 100% Yamada Nishiki rice (the gold standard of sake rice) is considered the highest level of premium sake.
The brand utilizes craft sake methods–making sake batch-by-batch, using handmade koji, and fermenting in each small tank–which is rare even in Japan. It’s the first of its kind in the U.S. to do so.
New York State Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight stated:
The Mid-Hudson region is home to the country’s oldest wine-making region and draws thousands of visitors annually, which makes it a perfect location to build Dassai’s state-of-the-art sake brewery. Dassai Blue will be a unique and exciting product that will be proudly produced in New York State and will surely be a top stop on tours and tastings which will bolster the regional economy.
New York now ranks in the top five in the U.S. for its number of craft beverage producers in every category–ranking first in the U.S. for the number of hard cider producers, second in craft distillers and breweries, and fourth in the country for the total number of wineries.
Learn more and stay updated on their Instagram.
🍶 Dassai Blue
📍 5 St Andrew Rd, Hyde Park, NY