Did you know San Francisco has it's own Sake Brewery? Did you know they offer Saturday tours and tastings? If you can find it, it's only $10 and really good. While you can learn about the history of Sequoia Sake from the website or the tour, the gist is an American, married to a Japanese, decided to make sake. He and his wife have done their research, work with local rice distributors, have brought in Japanese sake makers for approval, and on Saturday will give a tour of the facility. The tour is quick, but informative, and questions can be asked at any time. But te real reason you come is the tasting. For $10 you get a shot of the three flavors: Nama - the "purest" sake, clear and smooth Genshu - clear, but with a stronger flavor Nigori - milky, full of flavor You can buy bottles in two sizes, and they give you water to cleanse the pallet. So if in Portola, or looking for fresh Sake, highly recommend Sequoia read more

See all

I'm no sake expert, but I've had a few sakes and your sparkling sake was AMAZING. The dryness, flavor (slightly fruity sweet), and effervescence were perfect for my preference. Looking forward to visiting often when COVID is over! read more

Came here for a sake-tasting off-site; it was wonderfully informative and the owners are kind, knowledgeable, and passionate. They are clearly dedicated and attentive to their sake. It tasted great to me, though I'm not any kind of authority on this. It's an experience I would recommend! read more

Sequoia Sake - Their Sequoia line tasting - Breweries Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

What a wonderful place! I booked a private sake tasting ($25/person) for my husband's birthday. They were very responsive via email and accommodating when we had to change the number of people and time of the reservation. The tour was great! It's a family-owned business, and the owner was knowledgeable, shared a lot of details, and answered all of our questions. The quality of the sake is SO GOOD. They had very interesting sakes too! We tried one that was aged in an oak barrel previously used for whiskey. We also tried sakes aged in oak barrels used for white wine as well as red wine. Loved this place and will be back during the holiday season to try their sparkling sake! Cheers! read more

I don't write reviews much anymore, but sometimes an upstart place deserves to be touted to anyone who will listen. This is an inspiring place. Passion, vision, love, bleeding hard work - that is what is going on here. Imagine being transported back several decades to one of the first microbreweries in the country, and having a tour from the founders and tasting the first product - a product with a bold vision to bring a traditional artisan product back to the artisans and out of the hands of big corporations. That sounds pretty inspiring ... and that is what you can experience first hand at Sequoia Sake. Sake is an unbelievably complicated product - brewing it feels like the lovechild of brewing beer and making wine. And yet outside of Japan there are almost no small sake brewers. Except here. Come here on Saturdays for a great lesson on how it is made, on the passion that goes behind each bottle, and for a great tasting. Trust me on this one - not to be missed. Their unpasteurized sakes are among the best I have ever tasted. Go now! read more

This place was a most pleasant surprise on my last trip to SF. I happened to be at the meadery and the guy running the place casually asked if I had been to the sake brewery not far away. He said the couple running the place liked to brew their sake the old fashioned way and I should check it out. The only sake brewery I knew of at the time was in Berkley. So after some great mead I headed on over to Sequoia to give it a shot. James was blown away. It's in a very small space but it is setup very nice. When the mead guy said they made sake the old fashioned way I thought of that museum they have in the sake brewery in Berkley with the large stone presses and the wooden vats. What it actually is is a rather modern setup that uses traditional ingredients in their products. They do use as much California products as they can which is great. You must remove your shoes as you enter so you don't track in stray yeast. There is a small tasting area and you get to try the stuff they provide to area eateries as well as what you can buy there. The big difference I would say is pasteurized v unpasteurized and there is a big difference between the two. I found I prefer the unpasteurized versions myself. The best that they offer tho in my opinion is sparkling sake. I had my 1st sparkling sake at Takara and have been hooked ever since. The couple that run this place are fantastic people, their product is bomb and a trip to their brewery is in order for any sake fans in the area. read more

See all

I'm a huge sake lover and was very surprised when I saw there was a distillery in SF. Family owned business with a tasting room and tours available as well. Very overdue review, but give them a try. read more

See all

Dropped in for a tasting on Saturday and was absolutely blown away by the level of service and quality sake here. Jake and Noriko were fantastic hosts spent almost an hour with us exclusively. We were treated to a detailed tour of the brewery while we peppered Jake with our questions and then tasted their three sales ($10). Definitely worth a stop! Make it a trip by visiting other craft producers in the area - SF Mead Company, Ferment Drink Repeat Brewery, Seven Stills Distillery, and Laughing Monk Brewery. read more

Sequoia Sake - Looks are deceiving. This plain warehouse door will lead you to delicious sake! - Breweries Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

My biggest tip here is to watch the episode on "Migrant Kitchen" focused on Sequoia. It was awesome to watch that, then immediately go and talk to the founders in a tour! Best sake you are going to find in the USA. Their burbon barrel sake blew my mind. Jake did our tour and really showed us why he is a master of the art of sake. He did a great job giving us a peak into his world which I am very grateful of. read more

Great sake and very knowledgeable people to walk us through the tour. I booked a private tasting and it was super easy. Will definitely continue to buy their sake. Their sake set also made a great holiday gift to enjoy with the family. read more

Wonderful time to see a tour and taste their great sake!! The team is informative, friendly, fun, and the same is great, delicious. Tip: get both the pasteurized and unpasteurized sake and taste them back to back read more

Sequoia Sake - Breweries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sake has always been a cultural interest mine. I found this as I was searching on Google for a good sake tasting experience. The rates caught my attention, and to me, it is very much worth coming to! The location may not be as appealing as other breweries but don't let the outside's first impression deceive you. Behind the warehouse door, you will experience the intimate setup of the tour and this is what makes Sequoia Sake unique. Jake & Noriko provided the best hospitality and insight of sake brewing during our tour. There are no complicated twists and turns, just the four walls you see as you walk in. The sake is brewed by the owners themselves and the time+effort they give to brew the product reflects on the quality of the drink. I enjoyed the tour, quoting my companion, "with a great deal of information overload" on a positive note. I highly recommend this location for a wonderful experience. Tip1: food pairing is not necessary to enjoy sake, but can be enjoyed with food as you prefer. Tip2: bring your curiosity and wonderful personality! I guarantee you will enjoy :) read more

Our office had Sequoia Sake out for a sake tasting earlier this year. It was a great team activity and everyone enjoyed! Sequoia Sake is knowledgable and professional. Easy to book! read more

What a great experience! The tour was fun and informative, and the sake excellent. Our favorite was the Genshu sake, but they were all great. The people there are very friendly, and clearly love what they do and care about the quality of their product. Even if you are not a fan of sake, I'd recommend going and giving Sequoia a try - you will be surprised! read more

Sequoia Sake - The 3 varietals - Breweries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very insightful tour & tasting! Love that Sequoia Sale is right in San Francisco. It's incredible to find fresh, unpasteurized sake in San Francisco- and tasting versions side by side is globally unique! Amazing friendly hosts, in crowded and magical, and delicious! read more

Sequoia Sake - Breweries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great place to see a passionate sake brewer! Come here for a short tour on Saturday. Seeing real sake being brewed is fascinating. I was a bit doubtful at first but by the end was convinced that it's very close to how Japanese-produced sake would taste. I'm not a sake expert, but sake tasted great for a price. Especially taking into account that this is a small local business. read more

Sequoia Sake - They are not easy to find. Apple maps shows the wrong building. They are located near the "bend" in Apparel way and away from Batneveld - Breweries Near Me - San Francisco, California

LOVE everything about Sequoia Sake! Their sake is the best I've ever had, including in Japan, and the friendly and informative owners give a great tour + tasting experience. The Nama and the sparkling sake (think sake champagne) are particularly memorable. This may be my favorite new spot to bring foodie friends in SF! read more

See all

Sake brewery in San Francisco There is a tour you can learn the process of sake making.

It's rare to find a true "undiscovered" gem in San Francisco- but this is it. Wandered in on a Saturday and was welcomed with a detailed tour and incredible tasting. I know at some point the rest of the city will discover this (and I hope you enjoy it!), but I will be a loyal visitor and customer through all of it. *SO EXCITED* for their bourbon barrel aged sake... read more

Sequoia Sake - Breweries Near Me - San Francisco, California

It was great, we started a bachelor party here the owners were great very nice , gave the husband to be great advice on going to japan (honeymoon) Plus the sake was top shelf and they are able to sell you bottles to take home read more

This place is fantastic! Their sake is superb; perfectly crafted, fresh, crisp, and I don't need to go into the lexicon of the average drunk blabbing endlessly about notes of honeysuckle and tarantula musk. It's just an exquisite sake across the board. Five stars. Minus one star for price, but that's because I'm poor, so I won't actually take it off. read more

My friends who had previously been to Sequoia Sake for a tour, took me for a tasting and it was great! We got to try their newest variety - which is aged in bourbon barrels - amazing. It was fun learning about how Sake is created, and getting to try the difference between pasteurized and unpasteurized in taste as well was fantastic. I'd recommend visiting this hidden gem! read more

Very cool place to check out! Jake was very knowledgeable and gave us a great tour of the facility and the process for making Sake. I will definitely be purchasing more Sequoia Sake in the future! read more

This is the first sake in San Francisco and it is amazing. The flavors are delicate and comparable to any high class sake from Japan. They have created sakes that match California's persona and stay traditional enough. You have to try their specials specially their Sake Bourbon barrel aged. It is amazing . read more

The only sake distillery in Northern California. The couple that own and work it, were great at giving a tour, showing the process of creating sake and details between unpasteurized sake and pasteurized sake. There is no comparison unpasteurized is the BEST. They also sell to several restaurants in the Bay Area. We shall return and we will be bring friends. The only note they need to do is make the place a little bit easier to find. Nama sake is heaven in a glass. read more

This review is for Second Line Chefs, which will be doing an event at Sequoia Sake on 4/21. Second Line Chefs is flat-out amazing. They recently did my wedding (on New Year's Eve no less), and everyone RAVED about the food. We had a tasting beforehand, and as I am wary of fish, I was dubious. Chad has converted me to being a fish-lover. Or rather, a lover of anything cooked by Chad and his chefs. Everything was perfect, from the wonderful oyster bar and appetizers presented in the most surprising and artistic ways, to the salad (which everyone said was the best salad of their lives), to the main courses which were cooked to perfection, to the late night snacks supplied to get us all to the New Year. This man and his team are the absolute best, laid back, and passionate about great food. And if you don't like fish, I guarantee that Second Line Chefs and Chad Kuczek will change your mind! read more

normally tours are available on saturday for $10/person i came here for a monthly sake & chocolate pairing course hosted by Sequoia and Dandelion sounds 面白い right?? definitely very unique! i've been to the major breweries in nippon, but never a sake producer....maybe that should be my next thing to dabble in? course pairing is normally a flight of nama . genshu . nigori nigori is the least filtered, commonly described as unfiltered nama is the pure unpasteurized genshu is my favourite, being the undiluted one anyhow~ jake & noriko's passion for nama sake is evident from their brief lecture and tour of their facility...you get to learn random fun facts like the state and local government define their business differently so they are both a "winery" and "brewery" depending on who is asking this operation is a family business! yay for supporting local business! all their sake is all daiginjoshu if not junmai daginshu it means the rice has been polished down to less than 50% of the original grain 60%+ tastes like soju to me...and i prefer sake ~*~ jake & noriko's passion and dedication to the art of making sake can be felt they were generous with their pours and even shared the special sake that was not originally part of the pairing course with us...it felt like an evening with friends tucked away in the last industrial corner of SF, this place is worth a visit~^^ read more

A great experience. The tour was interesting and their "Sake flight" was good deal! I enjoyed 3 different kind of Sake.

Awesome! This is a Japanese traditional Sake! I wanna come here again soon :D Noriko was very kind to us all. read more

Wonderful hidden gem in a row of warehouses. Friendly and informative tours, delicious sake.

I took amazing time here. I tried six kinds of Sake(2 sets of 3 samples), but everything was good! Sake plant tour was also interesting me. I want to introduce here to all Sake lovers. read more

Their sake is so delicious that I bought a case of it to gift to friends and family this Christmas! Plus two of the sparkling sakes for myself :-) Jake and Noriko, the owners, are absolutely lovely. It's clear that they love what they're doing. It shows in the kind attention they give to their visitors as well as the crisp, clean flavors of their sake. I had been here before and wanted to take my husband. We started with an informative tour of the facility where we learned about the sake making process. Then, we had a tasting with three other visitors to the distillery. Jake was super friendly and attentive, answering all our questions, pouring us a couple other sakes (beyond the usual three in the tasting) that they were brewing, and giving us plenty of time to enjoy and contemplate our sakes. Such a great way to spend a Saturday! This will be my new go-to to bring out-of-town visitors as well as local friends. read more

Jake and Noriko are fantastic hosts of this small production sake brewery. They were very personable and ran us through the entire sake making process in detail. He was generous in answering all of our questions, anything from how he and his partners got into the sake business to packaging design concepts and marketing. I really enjoyed learning not only about sake, but also the inner workings of a small brewery. It was definitely an eye-opening experience. Noriko served us different snacks and desserts that she made from rice koji on two separate visits. The sake is also high quality, with our favorite being the sparkling sake. Best entertainment and experience for $10! read more

Super fun to go to on the weekend. We did the tasting flights and then got a tour by the owner. Super lovely to learn more about the sake making process and enjoy the brewery. The only bad part was that it was cold and you can't wear your shoes read more

Excellent, locally made, fresh sake! Sequoia is one of the few places outside of Japan where you can get unpasteurized sake. The flavor is very fresh and blossoms in your mouth. Definitely worth a tasting/tour. Try to find it at your local Japanese restaurant or go buy some bottles in person. read more

I love the fresh unpasteurized sake! Whenever I meet someone that enjoys sake I have to bring them to the brewery for a tour and tasting. I just found it at birite too but it's more fun to get it from the brew master. Sometimes they have stuff you can taste that isn't sold in the stores. A must for any sake lover read more

Great husband and wife managing the brewery, the husband gives a short tour of how sake is made and the wife serves the flights. Friendly people and always open to answering questions. Always feels nice to support the smaller businesses! read more

An amazing experience. The tour and tasting was very informative to someone with basically no prior knowledge of the process.

Went here recently for the tour and tasting. Its a small, husband and wife (and silent partner) operation. The husband is well-informed about sake (obviously) and you can sense his passion for their business. They are extremely friendly and are just 2 people who seem to enjoy what they are doing. Go here for an education and different tastes of sake that this place has to offer...I sense that they will only become bigger as time goes one...wonder if they are looking for any investors, hmmm... read more

I'm so glad we finally got to try Sequoia Sake! Our tour, given by Noriko, was very informative about how sake is made. The tasting was wonderful....all three kinds of sake went down really smooth. The Nama sake was light and refreshing. I will be back for more! I would definitely recommend coming here with friends and family. read more