When touring Hyde Park’s Dassai Blue Sake Brewery, you’re greeted by a grand blue and white mural that depicts traditions of rice farming, from ancient Japan to present-day Arkansas. This is just one of many additions that the brewery has recently completed to explain the history of sake production and of the Dassai brand to its visitors.
Since opening in the fall of 2023, Dassai Blue has welcomed over 11,000 people for tours and tastings. The largest sake brewery in the U.S.— and the only one in the Hudson Valley— specializes in crafting junmai daiginjo, the highest grade of sake. Currently, the company produces four varieties: Type 23, Type 35, Type 50, and a sparkling nigori. (The numbers refer to the percent that the rice is polished before brewing; polishing the rice isolates the starch and makes for a fruitier, cleaner sake.)
Over the course of the past year, the brewery has worked closely with Manhattan-based design group Local Projects to create an experiential installation. The museum-like exhibit consists of the statement mural, along with wall projections that detail the sakemaking process, a topographical map of the Hudson Valley made of maple wood, and four tables with items and information detailing everything that Dassai Blue does.
The exhibit can be viewed during one of two tours: the first is 35 minutes long and brings visitors through the display and allows them to peek at the production areas and equipment through viewing windows. This concludes with a tasting of three sakes with food from one of Dassai Blue’s culinary partners: The Culinary Institute of America and The Corner Counter in Red Hook. On weekends, sushi is freshly prepared in-house.
Or, opt for the 45-minute tour, in which one of the brewers will lead you through the production floor to see the action up close. Before sitting down for a tasting of all four sakes Dassai Blue currently has to offer (be on the lookout for a new release this spring), complemented by a charcuterie board from The Corner Counter, you’ll walk through the manga corridor, where art by Kenshi Hirokane depicts the brand’s rich history.
Tours are priced at $50 and $85. The brewery is also open for walk-in visits and by-the-glass purchases, Wednesday through Sunday.
Related: Dassai Blue Sake Brewery Makes Its Grand Debut in Hyde Park
