Friday Adventure

The weather has been nice enough here in Berkeley, almost nice enough that I can go outside without a sweater, and enough nice that I can go riding my bike to the marina as I like to do. Plus, my academic workload is fairly light this weekend leaving me free to putter off and pursue things aside from school. (the downside of a light academic load=anxiety about NOT having anything to do, but thats a different story)

Anyways, I have always passed by the Takara Sake brewery/factory/building on 4th street, never bothering to read the sign that sits out front. There is always a sweet smell permeating the air in the area; slightly bready and fermentalicious. It makes my mouth water, and my stomach emit pangs of hunger. As per usual, I biked by it, saw the sign, smelled the smell, and kept going. But within 30 seconds of rushing past, I decided to park my bike and see whats up. 

The sign informs the public of tastings and the sake museum. What?! I opened the door to find myself in a very white landing with a staircase leading up to another very white and clean landing. Turn left to find myself in the tasting room, decorated with sake paraphernalia and a bar. Tastings are 5$, which I unfortunately did not do as I would have felt a little awkward tasting alone and then biking back home. The room is rather large and vast and very peaceful. There is also a window overlooking the actual bottling plant, where one can see sake bottles rushing by on a conveyer belt being filled with liquid and capped off. It was actually very relaxing watching the repetitive motions of both the machines and workers. I took a photo, but I don’t think they would appreciate me making it viewable to the public.

The museum was very informative. A giant poster lines the wall depicting the sake making process. It also correlates to the tools that fill the room: large vats, wooden containers, scrapers, stirrers, photos and other assorted wooden objects. see…(I asked about taking these photos. It was OK)

tools hanging on the wall. used for mixing, mashing, scraping etc.

vats used for steaming rice

 

I most definitely would like to return for a tasting and more education about sake because I don’t know much about the different types. It also smelled amazing in the tasting room and in the museum.