December2021

Joining Together to Take Sake to the World
We have entered into a long-term partnership with Brooklyn Kura of NY, USA.

Hakkaisan Brewery Co, Ltd. (President Jiro Nagumo, Minamiuonuma, Niigata Pref.) established Hakkaisan Brewery USA Co., Ltd. (New York, NY USA), and Hakkaisan Brewery USA Co., Ltd. has begun a business and capital partnership with Gotham Sake LLC. (New York, NY USA, brand: Brooklyn Kura).

The Hakkaisan Group has been producing and selling “Hakkaisan”, the leading brand of sake, beverages such as shochu, plum sake, craft beer, koji amazake, as well as business related to “rice, koji, fermentation, and Uonuma” which are products rooted in the Uonuma area of Niigata, Japan. Brooklyn Kura in Brooklyn, NY was established as New York State’s first sake brewery and opened their production site and taproom in Industry City, Brooklyn to produce and sell local, craft sake. We have entered a long-term business partnership because we share the same values: a passion for brewing sake, an attitude of business development rooted in the local region, and a goal of expanding sake to a global market.

The Hakkaisan Group has always wished for sake to become a standard choice in the alcohol market globally. And for sake to be an internationally recognized drink, it needs to be locally produced with local water and rice as an everyday drink and enjoyed by locals just as they do with wine, whisky and beer. Maintaining and constantly improving the quality are also important.

For sake to attain global recognition and expand its presence, we would like to leverage our experiences and knowledge along with Brooklyn Kura’s innovative ideas, to accelerate both companies’ growth. First, we would like to start sharing sake brewing skills which are accumulated through our experiences, and exchange ideas. In the future, not only sake, but also craft beer, distilled alcohol, and fermented food products will be developed and produced collaboratively along with opening new sales channels. By sharing our skills in different areas, and combining our strengths, we would like to create new value for U.S. consumers.

About Brooklyn Kura

Name:                 Gotham Sake, LLC.
Brand:                 Brooklyn Kura
Address:             68 34th Street Brooklyn, NY 11232
Founders:           Brian Polen (Co-Founder and President)                                                                                                     Brandon Doughan (Co-Founder and Head brewer)
Business:            Production and sell of Sake
Established:        January 5, 2016
Employees:        7 (including part-time)
Brewing in:        Brooklyn, NY US
Website: https://www.brooklynkura.com/

Main Contents of Collaboration 

• Enhance educational activities on sake production and fermentation processes
• Expansion of production and sales of sake, improving of quality of sake, and business expansion in the United States
• Establishment of sales division and development of sales channels for both brands
• Collaborative development of sake, craft beer, distilled alcohol, fermented food products, and other products.

Contacts

Hakkaisan Group PR
Hakkaisan Co., PR Department – Kozue Hamasaki
For English – International Marketing Department – Shinsuke Sasagawa / Shoko Baba
4-5-9 Tsukiji, Tsukiji Yasuda Daini Building, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Email: press@hakkaisan.co.jp Phone: 03-6264- 3366