“My first memory of drinking sake was in a Japanese restaurant on Mercer Street in Manhattan in the late 90s when I was still in high school. I snuck a few sips from my older friend, who had received their serving in the traditional wooden box. I’d been obsessed with Japanese culture for years at this point, and being able to experience a new aspect was exciting to me, to say the least. The mellow, grainy flavor with a slight alcoholic kick hitting my lips for the first time is a sensation I still remember to this day.”