Governor Hochul Announces Grand Opening of $80 Million Dassai Blue Sake Brewery in Dutchess County

First-Ever Japan-led Sake Brewery to Open on U.S. East Coast in Hyde Park

Partnership with The Culinary Institute of America to Develop Curriculum, Certification Programs and Public Classes

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced premium sake maker Dassai, celebrated the opening of their $80 million, 55,000 square foot, state-of-the-art brewery and tasting room in Hyde Park, Dutchess County, and the launch of their new U.S. brand, Dassai Blue. Over the past thirty years, Dassai has experienced exponential growth in Japan, the U.S. and globally. Opening their New York brewery is their latest expansion into the global sake market.

“New York’s craft beverage manufacturers are engines for job creation, tourism, and regional economic growth,” Governor Hochul said. “Dassai’s expansion into the Mid-Hudson Region builds on New York’s national and international leadership in agribusiness and will be a welcome addition to this industry.”

To encourage Dassai’s growth in New York, Empire State Development offered the Japan-based brewery up to $588,235 in performance-based tax credits through the Excelsior Jobs Program. Dassai has invested more than $80 million in the facility and will create 32 new jobs.

A Junmai Daiginjo-only sake, Dassai is considered the highest level of premium sake. Made from 100 percent Yamada Nishiki rice, the gold standard of sake rice, Dassai still utilizes craft sake methods, making sake batch-by-batch, using handmade koji, and fermenting in each small tank. However, the brand also employs detailed analysis and technology to achieve its delicious taste and premium quality. Sake breweries that only produce such premium sake are rare even in Japan, with Dassai Blue becoming the first of its kind in the U.S. The Sakurai’s named their new creation “Dassai Blue,” which comes from an old Japanese proverb that says, “indigo dye is bluer than the indigo plant from which it is derived”.

The Dassai Blue property, located at 5 St Andrew Rd in Hyde Park, consists of two buildings: the brewery and a rice polishing facility, both of which were designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and their Japanese partner, Jun Mitsui. The interior is designed with both beauty and function in mind, welcoming visitors to observe the brewing process through multiple windows looking into various production rooms. The exterior design mixes modern and traditional, as seen in the tin roof and the burnt cedar walls of the rice mill. The use of wood incorporates Japanese elements while still blending with the natural surroundings of Hyde Park.

Dassai is also collaborating with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), also located in the Hyde Park, to further the education and awareness of sake in the United States. As part of the partnership, they have developed curriculum, certification programs, and public classes. Since sake plays an important role in Japanese society, these new unique programs will further the education of Japanese cuisine and culture for CIA students, food enthusiasts, food industry professionals and other visitors to the Mid-Hudson Region.

 About Dassai Blue and Dassai

Dassai Sake is a super-premium Junmai Daiginjo sake made with Yamada Nishiki rice – the gold standard for sake production – rice utilizing “craft” methods — making sake batch by batch, koji by hand, and the yeast starter in small tanks. The original brewery was founded in the 1700s and is still in the same location in the town of Iwakuni in Yamaguchi, in Southern Japan. The Sakurai family took over in the late 1800s during the Meiji era and started the sake brewing business as Sakurai Liquor Store. After the Second World War, in 1948, they established Asahi Shuzo with Hiroshi Sakurai becoming the family’s third-generation CEO in 1984. Under Hiroshi’s tenure, the brand of Dassai launched and within 14 years it grew from a small, local craft sake brand, to an international sensation as it began exporting to the US and Hong Kong. In 2015, Kazuhiro Sakurai succeeded his father as the 4th generation CEO, a role which he remains in today with Hiroshi serving as Chairman. Dassai currently ranks as a top ten sake brand in Japan by both production volume and sales. Its core range includes Dassai 23, 39 and 45 with numbers reflective of the rice polishing ratio, as well as Dassai Sparkling and Dassai Beyond.