About the Book

"Unlock the world of sake with this approachable, illustrated guide from sake experts and founders of Umami Mart in Oakland. Just like wine and beer, sake is a fermented beverage meant to pair with food. It is highly aromatic, drinks wonderfully in a wine glass, boasts a wide array of flavors, and pairs well with all sorts of dishes-from pizza and burgers, to roasted chicken and pasta Bolognese, to your favorite Chinese dishes. If you've only had sake alongside sushi at a Japanese restaurant but are curious to learn more about this unique rice-based drink, Everyday Sake is here to be your go-to resource. It's no understatement that the world of sake is complex, but Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori are the perfect guides. As the owners of Umami Mart, a sake shop and bar in Oakland, California, they have spent over a decade selling sake and teaching classes on the subject. They know the answers to all the real-life, burning questions you may have, like, Can I use a wine glass for sake? Is hot sake bad? Can I eat pizza with sake? How do I store sake? And now they've written Everyday Sake as a practical guide that will give you the confidence to choose the best sake for any occasion. With informative graphics and helpful, full-color illustrations, Everyday Sake covers sake basics, including essential guidance on selecting, tasting, and pairing that give you all the information you need to choose sake on a restaurant menu or in a bottle shop. For those who want to dig deeper, it features sidebars with extra information, tips, and how-to's that illuminate the complex world of sake. As your sake concierge, this book will make sake more fun, and show you how the drink can join your rotation with beer, wine, and cider for any night of the week"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Step into the exciting world of sake with this vibrant, illustrated guide from Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori, the trailblazing founders of Umami Mart in Oakland.

Sake is more than just a drink for sushi night--it's aromatic, food-friendly, and endlessly drinkable. Whether you're pairing it with pizza, roast chicken, or pasta Bolognese, sake brings unexpected joy to any table.

Everyday Sake makes this iconic Japanese beverage simple, delicious, and fun. Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori--founders of Oakland's Umami Mart--have spent over a decade selling, sipping, and teaching all things sake. They've answered every real-life question--Can I use a wine glass? Is hot sake a crime? Does it go with cheese? How long does an open bottle last?--and now they've distilled their real-world expertise in this approachable, illustrated guide.

Inside, you'll find everything you need to drink with confidence: how to taste and talk about sake, read bottle labels and navigate menus, and perfectly pair sake with your favorite meals. Packed with expert insights, practical tips, and helpful visuals, this book is your go-to companion for discovering the joy of sake--any night of the week.

Review Quotes

"A must-have, whether you are a sake beginner or a person with more koji knowledge. Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori cover everything you want to know about sake and break it down so that it is easy to digest and fun to read! I will return to Everyday Sake again and again."--Kenta Goto, owner of Bar Goto and Bar Goto Niban

"Everyday Sake is the guide I wish everyone had when discovering sake for the first time--warm, clear, and refreshingly unpretentious. Yoko and Kayoko bring both expertise and genuine joy to every page, breaking down technique and tradition in a way that feels effortless. This book doesn't just teach; it welcomes you, invites you to linger, to pour, to taste, and to be grateful for the everyday moments that Japanese sake makes brighter."--Julia Momosé, chef and creative director at Kumiko and author of The Way of the Cocktail

"Kayoko and Yoko have created the definitive road map for readers of all experience levels to learn about sake of all types for every conceivable venue in concise, accessible, easy-to-reference illustrated chapters that provide the technical vocabulary and critical framework to select the ideal sake for your next gathering."--Jim Meehan, author of Meehan's Bartender Manual

"Yoko and Kayoko have distilled the complexity of sake into pure joy--Everyday Sake is as refreshing and illuminating as the drink itself. Their passion and clarity remind me that mastery begins with curiosity, shared over a well-chosen glass."--Aldo Sohm, sommelier and author of Wine Simple and Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings

"Yoko and Kayoko have a remarkable talent for making sake approachable for everyone. To have access to their aesthetic and knowledge in print makes this colorful book such a fun teaching tool and reference book all in one."--Tanya Holland, award-winning chef and author of California Soul

"This is an absolutely definitive guide to the wide and wonderful world of sake! Covering process and production, art and science, this book makes sake accessible and enjoyable with colorful imagery and new ways to pair and serve. As fun as it is informative, Everyday Sake demystifies one of the greatest and most misunderstood beverages."--Kyle Connaughton, chef/owner of Michelin three-star restaurant SingleThread

"Not surprisingly Yoko and Kayoko's book is as fun, approachable, and wise as they and their shop are. They define and organize this beautiful, historic drink while allowing it to remain magic and untamed."--Thad Vogler, founder of Bar Agricole

"What wine did for terroir, this book does for koji. You'll never look at rice, yeast, or water the same way again."--André Mack, somm-at-large

"Yoko and Kayoko are two of the great ambassadors of Japanese culture. They've brought their playful, energetic, and curious sensibility to explaining the opaque world of Japanese sake. This is an essential guide."--Sylvan Mishima Brackett, chef/owner of Rintaro

About the Author

Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori are the founders of Umami Mart, a Japanese drinks store in Oakland, California. Childhood friends from Cupertino, they started a food blog called Umami Mart in 2007 as a way to stay in touch (and deflect boredom) from their cubicle jobs in Tokyo and New York. After moving back to the Bay Area, they opened their shop in downtown Oakland in 2012. Umami Mart started as a barware and kitchen tools store before expanding to sake and spirits, and it now focuses on sake education through classes and a monthly club. The shop has been featured in The New York Times, Wirecutter, and New York magazine, and the owners are frequent guests on various drinks podcasts.