Local Brew

Brooklyn Kura
Craft Sake
Number Fourteen
Junmai Ginjo
Namazake/Unpasteurized
Milling Rate: 50-60%
Made with New York water and rice grown in California (blend of calrose and yamada nishiki)
Brooklyn, NY
Founders Brian Polen (brewery president) and Brandon Doughan (brewer)

Crystal clear glassful. Breathe in the white flowers, cantaloupe, refreshing cucumber, and some apple (but not sure which variety which is killing me). Take a sip and there’s sweetness like an overripe cucumber, cantaloupe, and then there’s that mystery apple again. Tastes floral like it smells. It’s dainty, light, and crisp/dry and an easy sipper by itself.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it even more sweet and robust. Weird I thought I wouldn’t like it paired but actually it’s pretty good with it.

What do you get when you bring together a New Yorker who works in analytics and tech, and a biochemist from Portland? Oh and add to that the fact that they met at a wedding in Japan. You end up with two sake drinking buddies that decide to open a small batch sake brewery in Brooklyn. Who would have thought? They’re making quite a success of it too from what I’m reading. As for reading…this is another beverage where you should definitely read the instructions on the bottle: Keep Refrigerated. Since it’s unpasteurized it needs to keep that chill, so before you put it back in the fridge, pour another glass.

@vinewinenyc @brooklynkura @cheezits #cheezit #wine #sake #craftsake #brewery #brew @worldbyglass #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #brooklyn #ny #newyork

Mixmaster Brewmaster

Stillwater Artisanal
Extra Dry Sake Style Saison
Water, malted barley, sake rice, hops, yeast
Hops: Citra, Hallertau Blanc and Sterling
4.2% ABV
Stratford, CT
Brewer and Owner: Brian Strumke

Golden pear yellow pour with Cava-like bubbles. Before the glass even gets near my nose it’s popping with tangerine, grapefruit, a little pear, serious vibrant tingle, and something lightly toasty. Maybe imagining it but reminds me a little when the rice gets a little crispy at the bottom of Bibimbap. Sipping and they weren’t kidding on the label about extra dry! There’s also light pear and lemon and maybe just the tiniest bit of pineapple. At end a touch of bitter like seared rice or some wood. This is a refreshing wake me up saison that would be great with oysters on the half or some bbq eel, or maybe even better some extremely lip burning hot Thai food.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: IN NO CASE SHOULD YOU PAIR THIS WITH CHEEZ-IT’S! Bleah! Ugh! Don’t do it! No, no, no!

Love the back story of Stillwater. Brian Strumke wasn’t always a brewer, from what I’m reading he was an internationally known DJ. I am still trying to find one of his sets, so if anyone has a link, please send it to me. From there he went from mixing tracks to mixing hops, yeasts, and all other sorts of ingredients in his backyard, and now look where that has him now. Can’t wait to see what brew he has on deck next.

@stillwater_artisanal @BeerBoutiqueNYC @twelve.percent.beer.project @twelve.percent.nyc.metro @cheezits #stillwater #brianstrumke #beer #saison #sake #cheezit @worldbyglass #nomad #pairswithcheezits