Texas Saké Company

The phone number doesn’t work so I submitted a question about tasting hours through the website. The owner called me later that day and encouraged my friends and me to visit Friday or Saturday from 5:30 — 9:30 pm for a tasting. I showed up today at 6:00 pm as the owner suggested and it was closed. I wasted $ 50 on an über to get there for nothing. I called the owner from the parking lot and he said they were closed that day without notice because «he hit a bump.» Disappointing and this experience left a poor taste in my mouth.

Did you know Austin had a small batch, craft sake brewery tucked away in the back of a parking lot on North Lamar? We were waiting for a table for dinner and a neighboring restaurant and decided to wander around the parking lot. We saw a sign for Texas Sake Company which piqued our interest. We walked all around and almost missed it! We saw a light on and ducked in. It was great! The hostess moved to Austin recently from Japan and was delightful! We tried the 3 sakes they had available. I left with a bottle of the filtered sake and it made the wait for a table at Titayas much more bearable!

Two words: Passion and craft.
The team at the Texas Sake Company to their core appear to love what they do. On a Saturday stop by the tasting room (note it is easy to miss — it is hidden on the back of a building in a parking lot) to try one of their four blends. Slip on some paper bootie shoes to shuffle around their distilling room on a private tour (maximum 4 people at a time) to learn more about the sake process.
Keep an eye out for their product in Whole Foods or the downtown farmer’s market on Saturdays. They have a whooping crane on a red label on their bottles.
Also check out their site for upcoming events. They mentioned hosting community movie night in the parking lot with complimentary tastings. Sounded fun!

great sake! local and organic.

I was super excited to discover the Texas Sake Company last Saturday, and was even more excited to be able to get in for a tasting the same day!
The area where they do the tastings is really intimate, and only seats maybe 8 – 10 people. Although it’s not mandatory, I’d definitely recommend making a reservation, since it’s such a small space. The tasting room is only open on Saturdays.
My boyfriend and I each ordered a flight of their four sakes ($ 9), as well as samples of two of their in-​process, unpasteurized sakes ($ 3). It was really interesting to be able to compare the taste of their finished product to something more raw. They also offer food pairings ($ 7). The woman conducting the tasting was friendly and very knowledgeable!
I’m a total newbie when it comes to sake, but I really enjoyed everything I tasted there, with the Whooping Crane being my absolute favorite. If you like what you taste, bottles are available for $ 24-​$ 38, depending on the size.
If you enter from N. Lamar, the tasting room is going to be at the far back end of the parking lot. Luckily, they’ve got «Texas Sake Company» painted in huge letters on the building, so it wasn’t very difficult to locate.

I thought the sake was very good and well brewed.

Texas Saké Company stakes claim to a lot of firsts. They are the first organic Saké Kura in North America, first maker of saké from Texas rice and also boasts the first organic alcohol made in Texas.
During the Texas Wine and Food Festival I had the pleasure of meeting young entrepreneur Yoed Anis. Yoed was one of three saké experts that spoke during the saké & sushi panel tasting at Uchiko. His enthusiasm for his new company and quality products were almost as contagious as his smile.
In April my husband won a saké tasting from Texas Saké Co. and the two of us along with a couple friends were treated to a casual informative evening of sake and laughs. Yoed explained each type of saké and discussed Japanese customs associated with saké. One of those customs I am a BIG fan of. You are to never pour your own saké and you should never let any ones glass be empty. This may sound like a drinking game of sorts but the thought behind it is more so social etiquette. If you are giving your company undivided attention, you will be aware of when they need a pour.
Texas Saké Co.‘s grand opening ribbon cutting was held October 1 of this year. The date coincided with international saké day. The event was held at their Kura (sake brewery) where they had live music, saké tasting, food vendors such as Sushi A-​Go-​Go and a pottery silent auction benefiting the the Japanese Tsunami Relief Fund.
I bought a couple bottles last week as the Kura was open to walk ins. One of of the brewers, Lino, gave me a taste of their Rising Star and Whopping Crane. Both are Junmai (pure sake made from only rice), the Rising Star is nigori and the Whopping Crane is filtered. Both are great but I am a fan of unfiltered sake so I purchased a couple bottles of the Rising Star. Loni explained that their filtered Whooping Crane pairs well with foods.
They do not have set days and times that the brewery is open but if you sign up for their email updates they email out such information. In the meantime you can order on-​line and there are three restaurants that currently carry their saké. You can find their saké at Komé, Shoreline Grill and Fleming’s at the Domain. They anticipate that the restaurant list to grow.