Our Story

Before there was a “World Sake Day” or “International Sake Day” there was a little event started in San Francisco in 2005 called SAKE DAY, which paid homage to the “Day of Sake” in Japan called Nihonshu No Hi. Every October 1st Sake brewers and workers honor this day as the start of the new brewing season to make sake and create that season’s liquid masterpieces. 

Founder of SAKE DAY Beau Timken was in Japan in 2004 on October 1st and hatched his plan to recreate this brewing enthusiasm in a celebration that honored all things sake. The first SAKE DAY was at the famous Ft. Mason complex in San Francisco in a very large classroom with 75 sake enthusiasts. This is where the theme of not only drinking sake, but also thinking about sake was launched. SAKE DAY became the preeminent sake tasting celebrating sake, but also became ground zero the betterment of sake to enthusiasts outside of Japan. 

At the time other sake tastings existed, but this special celebration truly honored the spirit of Nihonshu no Hi by creating a playful, educational, and celebratory setting that promoted sake to its fullest. SAKE DAY was the first sake tasting event that developed “Sake Challenge Stations” that challenged guests to understand sake better by using interactive tasting formats, most of which were blind. SAKE DAY was also the first sake event that included 100% participation by all the sake importers, distributors, and vendors in the Bay Area working together to promote sake as teammates on the same team. 

SAKE DAY as an event has moved throughout San Francisco venues such as Ft. Mason (Firehouse, Golden Gate Room), The Jewish Community Center, The Japanese Cultural and Community Center, The Armory, and at our current location Hotel Kabuki in JapanTown. The event sells out every year, and a majority of guests are repeat customers. Each guest has the opportunity to autograph and make art on the signage board that is unique to each year and all boards dating back to 2005 are on display at each SAKE DAY. 

Today SAKE DAY is the longest standing and largest Nihonshu no Hi outside of Japan, and many regard this event as the largest day of sake celebration in the world. Top sake celebrities, authors, educators join with many sake brewery owners and representatives each year to promote all things sake by thinking while drinking over 200 sake in a format that celebrates craft sake, local sake, and imported Japanese sake. 

100% of all SAKE DAY ticket proceeds go directly to a non-profit organization in San Francisco’s JapanTown. SAKE DAY has been and continues to be powered and sponsored by True Sake, America’s First Sake Store.