about:Sake

DJ Dual Core's Iowa Sake Guide

Can't find a fine rice wine in the sea of corn and lite beer that is Iowa?  We're here to help.

Aldi  University Ave., Cedar Falls
Ya, I didn't see this one coming either. Aldi, of all places, has 720ml bottles of Hoshi sake. Believe it or not, these $5.99 bottles actually contain something drinkable. See the irony? The only two grocery stores in Cedar Falls with drinkable sake on the shelf are Roots, a natural food store with a REALLY good beer selection...and Aldi, home of $.79 spagetti sauce. Hy Vee, Fairway, all the drug stores, are you listening?
(10/13/2007)

Hu Hot  College Square Mall, Cedar Falls
I never thought I would be writing this about a chain resturaunt on this page, expecially one claiming to be Mongolian. The fact is, however, that Hu Hot, at least the one in Cedar Falls, has a selection of sake to rival Aoshe in Iowa City. They have the predictable Gekkeikan, served warm, but thankfully that is only the start. They also have Momokawa Pearl, Diamond, and Silver. Perl is the same lovely junmai gingo nigori genshu served at Sushi House in Cedar Rapids. They also offer pear and raspberry flavored sakes and a variety of mixed drinks based on sake. I didn't get the name of the refreshingly knowledgable bar tender I spoke with there, but the bar manager is named Jim and I was encouraged to contact him with further questions or requests.
(5/16/2007)

Roots Market  Main Street, 2021 Main, Cedar Falls
Half a dozen brands, clear and unfiltered. Mostly small bottles. Mostly high quality. Fairly expensive. Selection includes my personal favorite, Hawk In The Heavens, but at these prices you might want to go with a larger bottle of filtered or unfiltered Tozai*.

Roots has added 720ml bottles of Hawk In The Heavens
(5/16/2007)

Logan Plaza Hy Vee, 2181 Logan Avenue, Waterloo
720ml bottles of lowest-grade Hakutsuru. Cheap, but barely drinkable.  Doesn't Hakutsuru also make multiple Junmai sakes?  This place has a bazillion beers and wines.  Why is the only sake in the place bad?

Sushi Popo, 725 Mormon Trek Boulevard, Iowa City
Nigori or clear sake, hot or cold with your meal.  I've had sake there with my sushi about four times, under old management and current.  It is always good.  When I asked what kind it was they wouldn't tell me.  

Sushi House, Blairs Ferry, Cedar Rapids
They serve hot, cold filtered or unfiltered sake with your meal but the bottles of Momokawa by the front counter are just for show. Best sushi value in eastern Iowa!  Bottled sake is Momokawa brand.  I had Momokawa Pearl (junmai ginjo nigori) with my meal.  Not only is this a very, very good unfiltered sake, it was served in a carafe with a separate compartment for ice, insuring that even the last drop stayed cold.  I love this place!

New Pioneer Coop, 22 S. Van Buren St., Iowa City
Several premium sakes, clear and unfiltered. Fairly expensive.  Similar selection as Root's Market in Cedar Falls.  They use the same distributor, Vine Connections.  New Pi also has a location in Coralville.

John's Grocery, 401 E. Market St. Iowa City
Possibly the last fully independent "corner grocery store" in the English speaking world, they also carry a number of sakes of various grades.  The staff know a suprising amount about beer and wine and will refer you to eachother if they can't answer a question individually.  Located near the University of Iowa Campus, in a very friendly part of a pretty friendly town, this is a nice place to stop by, for any reason.  Now that I think about it, the clerks at John's know so much about booze I'm starting to suspect that some of them are drinkers.


How You Can Help
Know someplace in Iowa that sells decent sake?  E-mail sake.

*Tozai "Voices In the Mist" and "Well of Wisdom" are brewed in Osaka by Philip Harper.  Harper is the author of the very informative Insider's Guide to Sake (1998, Kodansha International).  It is readable and practical, including a Japanese/English crib sheet for reading Japanese sake labels as well as history and detailed explanations of sake grades.

DJ Dual Core and djdualcore.com only support responsible drinking.  Follow the age restrictions on alcohol in your locality.  Don't drink and act like a prick. Don't drink and drive.