NamaFest 2026: The Coachella of Sake

This month's sake selection for Sake Gumi: Ohyama Tomizu Muroka Nama Genshu Tokubetsu Junmai and Toyonoaki Extra Dry Hatsushibori Nama Genshu Junmai

NamaFest is to sake as Coachella is to rock. Just like Coachella, NamaFest started out small as a subculture, and is celebrated in a town outside the main city. At first it was an annual theme for Sake Gumi and then we started serving flights at the bar to accompany the NamaFest club offerings. Our first attempt at NamaFest as an event was in April 2020, but it was cancelled for reasons we all know. In 2021, we released a NamaFest pack containing six seasonal namas, and they sold out like Black Pink was headlining. The overwhelming feedback was: “We want namas!” We could hear the crowd roaring already. 

2024 was the first year we had a full blown NamaFest in our back lot. There were 14 sakes and it was cold and cloudy. Kayoko and I were biting our fingernails thinking no one would show up because of the weather. But you showed us how to party and since then we’ve never looked back. Now in its third year, it keeps growing. This year, we will feature over a dozen vendors and 40 sakes! The popularity of the past few NamaFests have allowed us to call this event the biggest sake event in the East Bay. 

And it all started with a humble little Sake Gumi theme in 2020. I still guarantee that Sake Gumi members get first dibs on namas by announcing them on Gumi-only emails. And, we continue feature Gumi-only namas for the club bottles every April. I’ve been tasting some preview namas this year and while last year’s namas were very fruity, this year’s seem drier, with complex umami. 

This year, I brought in two special namas: Toyonoaki Extra Dry Hatsushibori Junmai Nama Genshu Sake and a new nama I’ve never seen before, Ohyama Tomizu Tokubetsu Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu. I can’t wait for you to try them. Tell me what you think of these namas at NamaFest this year on April 25th. Get tickets now!

Kanpai,

Yoko (Co-Founder + Sake Director, Umami Mart)

SILVER + GOLD

Toyonoaki Extra Dry Hatsushibori Nama Genshu Junmai
Yoneda Shuzo (Shimane, Japan)
Seimaibuai: Gohyakumangoku 65%, SMV: +15, Acidity: 1.6

This extra dry nama from Toyonoaki is a great example of a dry sake that is complex and multi-faceted. Brewer Hiroyuki Saito at Yoneda Shuzo says, “[the complexity is there] because we use more koji for this sake.” Savor its signature crisp minerality, but with an unexpected lingering umami that captures the clean flavors of Gohyakumangoku rice. Enjoy aromas of lime peel, peach skin, and mint. Saito-san added, “We bottle it immediately after pressing without filtering, diluting, or pasteurizing it, which gives it a fresh taste.” Pairing this sake chilled with the fresh greens and grilled flavors of Bun Cha Hanoi at our local Vietnamese restaurant Ao Sen, was a home run. The dryness of the sake complements the char of grilled foods. The label depicts the Matsue castle, a cruise along the Horikawa River, and camellias, the flower of Matsue City.

Hiroyuki Saito at Yoneda Shuzo who makes Toyonoaki Extra Dry Hatsushibori Nama Genshu

Ohyama Tomizu Muroka Nama Genshu Tokubetsu Junmai 
Kato Kahachiro Brewery (Yamagata, Japan)
Seimaibuai: Haneuki 60%, SMV: -9.5, Acidity: 2.2

This bottle delivers as an MNG (muroka nama genshu aka unfiltered, unpastuerised, undiluted). It is rich, viscous, and yeasty. I noticed aromas of cookie dough, marshmallow, followed by fruitier hints of ripe banana and plum. The flavors evoke umami and lactic notes including soft serve, banana bread, and melon soda. Ohyama release their regular tomizu jikomi, a revival of a 1830s style brewing method that uses 20% more rice, all year. But the MNG versions appear only once a year, and this is the first time it appears in the U.S. This sake is laden with umami, making it a firm foundation for pairing with rich foods like buchimgae (savory Korean pancakes). I experienced nirvana enjoying this sake at room temperature with slices of karasumi (salted mullet roe) while watching episode 5 (the best, in my opinion) of Heated Rivalry.