More about Brooklyn Kura

New York's first sake brewery, and one of the best arguments for drinking sake local. Fresh, unpasteurized nama sake rarely survives the long trip from Japan in great shape; Brooklyn Kura's comes from across the river.

The brewery is the work of Brandon Doughan, a biochemist and research scientist with a deep curiosity about fermentation, and Brian Polen, a technology executive, who met at a wedding in Japan in 2013. After courses, apprenticeships at Japanese breweries and plenty of experimenting, they opened in Industry City in Sunset Park in 2018. They brew with American rice, Calrose and Yamada Nishiki (including Yamada Nishiki grown in Arkansas for the Grand Prairie bottling), and with New York City water, filtered to remove iron and chlorine, plus koji spores sourced from Japan.

Much of the range is nama: unpasteurized, and often undiluted, so the sakes taste vivid and alive. #14, a Junmai Ginjo nama, is the best-known bottling, joined by Blue Door, Tidal and the kimoto-method Greenwood. The founders' stated goal is to demystify sake, and their serving advice is refreshingly simple: treat it like white wine, in a white-wine glass, chilled, and with everyday food rather than only sushi.