Tsuki no Katsura x SUNDAY SAKE CLUB
Sake as a Way of Life: Discovering Tsuki no Katsura

On July 20th, SUNDAY SAKE CLUB returned to Utage Sake Bar in Amsterdam for a special evening featuring one of Kyoto’s oldest and most iconic breweries: Tsuki no Katsura (Masuda Tokubee Shoten). This event was hosted by SAKE CLUB and brought together a vibrant mix of sake enthusiasts—from curious first-timers to professional sommeliers—all eager to explore sake through the lens of tradition and innovation.

Brewing Through Generations: 350 Years of Masuda Family Heritage

Founded in 1675 in Fushimi, Kyoto, Tsuki no Katsura has been run by the Masuda family for 14 generations. For over 350 years, the brewery has carefully passed down not just techniques, but a way of life centered around sake-making. The family still lives in the original home across the street from the brewery, blurring the line between living and brewing—a philosophy that infuses every drop they produce.

From pioneering cloudy nigori sake and porcelain-aged koshu, to reviving Kyoto’s native Iwai rice, Tsuki no Katsura has never been content with preserving the past. Instead, each generation has responded to the times, creating sake that is deeply personal, deeply local, and quietly revolutionary.

A Toast to Innovation: From Cloudy Sparkling to Summer seasonal Nama Sake

We opened the tasting with Tsuki no Katsura’s most iconic expression: their Cloudy Sparkling Nigori, the original pioneer of its kind. With a vibrant pop and a cheerful kanpai, this sake set the tone for the evening—celebratory, playful, and rooted in innovation.

Guests were then introduced to their Summer Nama Sake, the first of its kind to be poured in Amsterdam. Bright, fresh, and seasonally brewed, it sparked wide-eyed reactions around the room.

Later in the evening, the tasting shifted to a more introspective mood with Junmai and Junmai Ginjo, served gently warmed. As Shun guided the room through these bottles, attendees remarked on the subtle shifts in flavor, texture, and depth—how each sake seemed to carry the spirit of its season, its rice, and the hands that crafted it.

A Philosophy You Can Taste

As always, SUNDAY SAKE CLUB is about more than just flavor—it’s about connection. Shun shared the brewery’s motto:

“Aishu Rakusui”

“I love sake and enjoy being drunk. No — it’s precisely because I become drunk that I love sake.”

The room laughed, nodded, and, more importantly, felt the deeper meaning: sake at Tsuki no Katsura is not an industrial product. It’s a reflection of life. Brewing only during the coldest months, using local Iwai rice and Kyoto water, and maintaining hand-crafted techniques with just a small team of brewers—everything they do is intentional and grounded in nature.

SAKE CLUB!

SAKE CLUB, a community that encourages everyone to interact, share thoughts, and explore the world of sake together. At the SUNDAY SAKE CLUB we host monthly event focuses on different topics related to sake at Utage Sake Bar in Amsterdam.

On the fifth edition, we will be focusing on ZAKU (Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten). Join us on 17th August at 15:00~ @Utage Sake Bar Amsterdam

Kanpai, and see you next month. 🍶✨
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