This was by far my favourite place on granville island. The store (distillery?) itself is very modest, however the actual sake is made and bottled inside of it. For five dollars you can do a sake tasting of three different kinds of sake they produce (or you can sample them individually for two dollars each). As I am far from a sake expert, I appreciated the fact that the staff explained the difference between each sake and which foods each would go well with. You can pick up a 750ml bottle for around thirty dollars depending on the particular type (they also produce a carbonated sake which I really wanted to try, but unfortunately they don't offer that one as part of the tasting... so I had to buy a bottle). I really enjoyed the tasting and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Granville Island. In addition, they also sell the 'mash' that the sake is created from. The mash has very high nutritional value (especially protein - apparently the sake mash has similar quantities to beef) and is usually discarded after the sake has been made. Artisan, however, is selling the mash which you can use for cooking. They had (free) samples of this as well. It tasted pretty bland (basically tasted like mushy rice) however I think it could be pretty tasty with a little work. If I weren't visiting I would have definitely picked up some of this to experiment with - you can buy a very large container of this for very little. read more

Do you like Sake? Have you every even had Sake before? Well, if you are on Granville Island, you can go to Artisan Sakemaker for their $5 sake tasting. For the $5, you get to try three kinds of their handcrafted sake. I have been here two times. The first time, I didn't have the tasting, yet the guy giving the tasting was very friendly, knowledgable and willing to answer questions. The second time I went to Artisan Sakemaker, I had the $5 tasting. I'm glad I did. I had never had sake before this day. I enjoyed the Junmai Nama Genshu, which was a rich, complex and dry sake. This actually surprised me as I do not like dry wines. Just goes to show that you have to try things before you judge them. So, I suggest you get to Artisan Sakemaker and try your three sakes for $5. And as Always, Have Fun!!! (11/30) read more

Me, in four words: Loves wine. Loves Japan. Me, when it comes to sake: Muh. Me, after an enlightening visit to Artisan Sakemaker: Loves wine. Loves Japan. Loves Japanese wine, also known as: Sake. I'm a nerd for nerds. I'm of the nerds. These people are sake-nerds. Prepare to wowed by the intense passion and knowledge that they will impart on you as you sip on their premium, handcrafted, gloriously fermented rice drink. That's what this is, people: fermented. So what did I learn? Just like the wine I drink on the daily (antioxidants, don't you know), not all sake is created equal. Made in small batches a few times a year, the sake created here is unfiltered to allow for the most delicately fresh flavours to come through. Also, unlike a number of the premium brands imported from Japan, Artisan Sakemaker's is a direct reflection of the season in which it was made, resulting in a more complex palate than those that are traditionally only produced in Japan's winter months. There are a few other gifty edibles in the shop, but you best believe that I'm here for the sake, nerding out over a flight, leaving with at least one bottle in tow. **also, because it must be mentioned: did y'all know there's such thing as sparkling sake? There is. And it's here. And it's delicious. read more

I can't fathom how this place has anything below a 5/5. A few months ago, I found myself in Vancouver for an academic conference and desperately needed a break from all the research. One of my friends, a UBC PhD student (which means he must drink a lot) decided to take me to Granville Island to try some sake. My GOD--this place was heavenly. We ordered the sake trio (which consists of their three Nama sakes: Nama (meaning unpasteurized), Nama Genshu (cask strength, 18% ABV), and Nama Nigori ("cloudy"--for you single-malt Scotch drinkers, it's similar to a sake being unchillfiltered)). Amazingly--as other people have already pointed out--the trio is only $5. I'm guessing each pour was around 2oz each, which makes this an incredible deal considering the superb quality of the sakes. We got to chatting with one of the employees a bit about her favorite spirits--eventually we were each given two complementary pours of the Ginjo sakes (would have been $2 for each pour normally). Surprisingly, I wasn't as big of a fan of these as the first three. I'm guessing that my sake palette just isn't matured enough to appreciate these (but no matter since I didn't even pay for them!). I would love to have this place in Chicago; I'd go at least once a week considering how expertly crafted the sake is (especially since it won't break the wallet either). TL;DR - amazing sake for cheap! read more

I didn't know sake could be this delicious. Shouldn't that, alone, sell you on this place? Try a tasting flight of three different sakes and marvel at the complex, beautiful flavours of these drinks. Then, buy a bottle and bring it home. read more

10 stars! I really enjoy this little sake shop, I'm so glad they promote sake in Canada! Their Osake Fraser Valley Junmai is 100% BC sake -rice is grown and harvested there. It's a light sake and I particularly like this one (just my personal taste). The owner and the wife are very nice people. It is HERE that introduced me to the art of sake. The lady greeted my boyfriend and I happily and talked about the sake we were able to sample (3 for $5!!). She was so friendly and very approachable. She even encouraged we try a different sample from each other, and of course I'd steal my boyfriend's glass for a sip, so we actually sampled 6! These made great souvenirs. When I returned to Ontario (Mississauga) I immediately placed my order online to have them shipped to my wonderful boss and colleagues as gifts. All bottles can be purchased on their website (unless they run out). Sparkling sake was recommended SO OFTEN by people we talked to in Vancouver. I wanted to write this review AFTER I've opened and tried my new (3 bottles of) Sparkling Sake. Sake is my new wine. I even brought a sake bottle to a BYOW(ine) Yelp event and it was loved by everyone. Thank you so much, Masa Shiroki, for bringing your passion to Canada! The ONTARIO Sake Company offers a tour of their modern-looking facility (but it's not a good tour). Unlike the Ontario's, customers of Artisan Sake Maker can only visit the store front -with one small table inside and some outdoor seating. I do prefer the Artisan's sake over Ontario's. Unfortunately: - It took one month for my order to be processed. The online shop is actually just an email system -lots of back and forth email conversations (ex. if a sake was out of stock, changing my list, payment...) They take about 1-2 days to respond to your email. - The shipping package was not done properly for mine. The bottles were rolling around, the postman actually asked me to open the box in front of him -just to make sure everything is okay. LUCKILY everything was okay! THE SAKE: The Sparkling Sake is very delicious and very light. And SO good when cold! Osake Fraser Valley Junmai is honestly my favourite (the NOT-nigori version), it's a little sweet, light, and refreshing? The shipping to Ontario for 7 bottles was just $23! read more

The trio sampler is best, all the sakes are delicious. The service method is a little uncomfortable. Had to try all three out of the same glass while standing, and the server just stood and waited to pour the next while waiting for me to finish one. I would have much preferred all three poured at once and being able to sit with my sampler. That said, the sake was really great, and $5 is a good price for the sampler. The other sakes were great as well. The staff were otherwise genial and welcoming. The takoyaki was just okay, but I don't think food is the draw here. read more

I went on a Sunday afternoon: I don't know if that's the boss's day off but Granville Island was hoping, so I hope not. The server poured us our samples but only spoke if asked a specific question: there was no guidance or discussion. This establishment only makes a single kind of sake, so what you're tasting is different bottlings from that process. They all taste very similar. Each sample is 1 oz, which I found was about 4 sips: I'd recommend buying a single sample of each offering and passing it around. The samples were $2/each or 3 for $5. read more

Nice, friendly place to try some sake and other sake-related treats. We stopped by as a group of four on a weekday afternoon and sampled some of the locally made sake. It's not my favorite sake, but it was very cheap for us to each sample some locally produced alcohol, as well as enjoy some of their ice cream as well. The bottles are also very reasonably priced, and we took some to go upon tasting. It's a small but friendly and unique place to stop by if in the area. read more

I am a little biased... it was a cold day and I needed to get warm. Getting warm from the inside out. Plus, I know barely anything about sake (and many many other things), so I was happy to learn a thing or two. I had the trio sampler for a whopping $5. Yes, that's right. 3 sakes for $6. Then I had the aged sake tasting, two different sakes for... I believe another $4. $10 and I was toasty. Definitely wander into this place. They also carry salad dressings which are a by-product of the sake. Go figure! read more

Artisan sake is still relatively new to the small craft distillery game. These guys are blazing new trails with some sakes that are intriguing. The Renaissance was the best one that I tried. They offer a few authentic Japanese small plates if you want a bite with your bonsai brew. read more

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It's a little place nestled in a back alley styled street with some cafes and artsy-fartsy shoppes. It was certainly a refreshing place for me to try and I will gladly return. The owners educated us all about the products and where they were from including how they were grown and made into sake. I was very impressed with their customer service but what really blew me away was the sake itself. I tried the sampler so that I got a good idea of what all their product line is but I was most blown away by the last one that I tried - a champagne-like sake. It was smooth and went down like water. Since you're not likely to come across many of these, I'd definitely recommend this for anyone who has an interest in sake or wants something off-beat to do in the Granville Island area. read more

Spent the day on Granville Island touring all the local watering holes. We ended the day here with tasting flights. The lot of us ended up sharing three different tasting flight. As we were the only ones there, we got a lot of personal attention and a lot of information about the sake we were drinking. Between the three of us we all had different opinions as to which ones we liked. I suggest coming down here and trying it for yourself. read more

Great sake tasting experience. Our host was very knowledgeable and we had some left field questions that he was able to answer. The sakes themselves are amazing. The nigiri was delicious, and if we weren't traveling carry on only I would have bought a few bottles. As it was we bought a couple jars of the hot sauce, but we plan on going to pike place market tomorrow and marinating some fish in them so we should be gravy. read more

Yes, it's only $5 for a tasting, but the experience is a bit harried and disorganized. When I arrived on a Friday afternoon, the place was packed with tourists, and with only one person manning the store, I just took whatever I got and went with it. Samples are also very small, and maybe because the place was so rushed, I didn't really learn about the sake or the production except for the description of the sake being filtered or unfiltered. If I were to return, I'd make reservations for a group tour of the facilities after hours. Maybe then the experience would be more enlightening. read more

So a group of us find ourselves in Granville Island with only 40 minutes to spend. While two friends rushed into a cafe to use the washroom, I noticed the 'Artisan Sakemaker' store right next door and got excited. I dragged two other non-washroom-needing buddies into the sake store to "quickly check it out while the others use the washroom!" Once inside, I was on the ball. I asked for the trio tasting, and the sake man indulged me - equally on the ball - producing glasses for me and my buddy to taste. He poured, explained, we sipped. He poured again, we sipped again, we marvelled at the sake. Washroom-going friends joined us in the store and asked for trio tastings also. Soon enough we were a group of sake tasting, giggling, photo taking, out of control tourists. I am not sure if this was supposed to be a quieter more contemplative experience, because we sure caused enough ruckus to clear out the store of any other customers. The sake man happily indulged us and sold us some sake infused chocolates when we were paying at the cash. In all seriousness, this was a great experience. I have never been sake tasting, and it was interesting to clearly taste the differences between the different sakes they had available. I even tried a sparkling one, which was my favourite. Too bad I couldnt buy any bottles because I couldnt carry it back home with me in my carry-on! read more

Was super excited when I heard there was a sake brewery on Granville Island as I've visited a couple of major sake breweries in California and had an awesome experience. To my disappointment, the experience at Artisan was like cracking open a bottle of sake and drinking it in Safeway. Their sake brand is called "Osake". There was a trio for $5 and then $2 per tasting for everything else (I went through everything they had). Overall the sake was just ok but the experience of the tasting was the worst ever. I was served by a young white kid (which is fine) but I expected some knowledge sharing and background/history of what I was tasting. I asked a lot of questions but didn't receive much solid info back. From being excited to leaving disappointed and planning to never come back. Don't waste your time on this one...Not recommended for any sake enthusiast. I suggest going to the many Japanese restaurants in Vancouver to taste some good sake. One of my favorites during my visit was the Taiheizan 'Chogetsu' Junmai Ginjo served at Rajio Japanese Public House. read more

Artisan Sake Maker - The 3 on the right was what was included in the trio tasting - Wineries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

A great find on Granville Island. So fun to try all the local sake in a chill, relaxed patio!

Was really excited to try this place. Horrible customer service. My boyfriend and I walked in. There were 2 staff members - the boss, an older Asian lady and then a young man, both with their own group of people. No acknowledgement towards us. As the Asian lady finished off with her group, a group of older white people walked in and she immediately catered to them, again treating us as if we were invisible. My boyfriend and I were awkwardly standing around waiting for the young man to be done w his group. Even though he was working slowly, he still didn't acknowledge that we were there waiting. So, the group completed their tasting. I had to get his attention (small shop, we were right in front of him yet he didn't want to acknowledge us) for him to give us a sake tasting. He seemed pretty apathetic/uninterested in the products as he only shared w us the name of the sake and no descriptions. Didn't make an effort to get us engaged. The sake was good and I was interested in the products. I just felt like we had to beg for their service. read more

Small little sake shop on Granville Island. Very cute and the owners are very knowledgable about their sake. The only have three main variations. I prefer drier Sake and being from Beaverton, OR and living near SakeOne brewery. I'd prefer the latter Sake. One thing unique about their sake is their nigori sake. Instead of being overly sweet like most nigori they make theirs drier so it's worth a try. However it's a lovely place to visit and very cute shop. They do offer food like sake ice cream and various little snacks. Worth a stop if you are browsing about Granville Island on a sunny morning/afternoon. read more

Made a trip out to Granville Island specifically to see Masa, the owner of this fantastic shop. Sake that is not only brewed, but grains are also grown in BC! So normally since I don't live on the Left Coast anymore, I decided to pick up 3 bottles (because I had to try 3 kinds and couldn't decide). Masa and I had a great discussion about how special this is, and I found his sake really interesting compared to what can be found in Montreal. By no means am I a sake expert, but I have to say, sake here is delicious!! read more

Artisan Sake Maker - Wineries Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Had such a good time chatting with Zack about the sake. Also the warm sake was perfect to drink on a cold evening. Definitely an awesome place to hang out and learn about the sake making process. We be back to taste the other products too! read more

Had a great time doing the $5 tasting. Learned a bit about sake, met some nice people and it was a sunny day out. What more could you want? They are producing things made with rice from Japan as well as from local sources. Where exactly and what local means, I'm not sure. The nice guy working that day told me the name of the area, but I was not familiar with it. But love the idea of trying to use different and local regions to produce interesting and different flavors. I knew different types of rice had different flavors and characteristics, but interesting to see the terroir of the rice come into play with their products. Watch out though, by bottle had a fair bit of gas in it and I lost a bit opening. They warned me of this but still tricky to deal with. read more

Artisan Sake maker, Masa Shiroki makes two things perfectly clear. Sake is not distilled alcohol and it is not similar to beer. "It is produced by fermentation. It is rice wine." Shiroki, who lectures on sake for International Sommelier Guild courses, should know! read more

It is nice to have a sake maker. And they sell rice and sakekasu as well. We have been looking for good reasonable rice here in Vancouver, so I tried their white and brown rice. On the label, it looks like they are proud of using Hokkaido rice variety. But Hokkaido is not really known to have good rice. Hokkaido offers very good seafood, vegetables, and milk products. But never rice. Sure enough their rice was not good. The quality, taste, and texture, over all it was so so. Brown rice even had hard shell on it. But it is $9 for a very small bag. Not worth it. read more

I was so happy to find a sake maker here in BC. I've missed tasting good stuff. By the way, they have sakes, sake tasting, kasu, beauty products made from the bi-products of sake making, hand and face care products, marinade.... My mom bought a skin lightening/tightening face product and I bought sake, marinade and kasu. http://artisansakemaker.com/2009/06/easy-kasu-recipes/ Kasu and miso paste will make you the nicest Miso Soup. :) read more

I really do appreciate the effort here. The thing that makes Vancouver most charming to me is that it embodies how the world would look when West + East actually collide and combine. It doesn't devolve into yellow fever (actually this is shown in the clear high % of mixed couples where the guy is Asian and the girl is white. It's a society where one part of a race isn't essentialzed nor sexualized and you can see that people are more race-blind than ever) and it doesn't trivialize itself into something Oriental meant to marginalize a minority. Instead, you have a community where everything complements one another. Everything from food to drink to fashion is an actual melting pot-- one that I can't even find in a city as cosmopolitan as NYC. Anyway. Rant and soliloquy aside this place was super average, and while I like that sake's being made in a place as far away as Canada, it's just frankly not up to par. It's super cheap though thanks mostly to the decaying Canadian dollar. Worth it if you want a quick buzz as you're browsing Granville Island but not worth making a designated trip for. read more

Rarely does one find a high level of art in a single product matched by an equally excellent presentation. The food pairings of inventive expressions of traditional japanese snackfoods supporting multiple small batch sakes offered in sample sizes offer up a unique gastronomic experience. If you go to Granville Island on a sunny day and miss this experience your stay was unnecessarily clouded. Kampai! Gesamtkunstwerk indeed! read more

I like to think of the Artisan Sakemaker as one of those secret little places only a few people know about, but it seems like the secret's out of the bag. The best things about these Sake are that they're unique, taste great, and are perfect for gifts! Everyone I have given one to has loved it! My favourite is a toss up between Junmai Nama Genshu and Junmai Nama. The Junmai Nama Genshu has more of a bold taste that would go great with steak and the Junmai Nama is lighter, great with sashimi. A third kind of Sake, Junmai Nama Nigori, is great with spicy foods. Masa Shiroki has always been very welcoming and pleasant, answering any questions and suggesting food pairings for the Sake. I recommend trying this Sake wine if you haven't already! I always leave with that warm, fuzzy feeling and that's not just from the Sake! ;) read more

This place is great for an introduction to sake. I had no idea about anything about sake and it was neat to go here and listen to Masa speak about the process of making sake and the microorganisms involved. The fact that it's locally made, high quality sake is a plus. read more

Extremely helpful owner, learned a lot bout the sake collection in Canada from him, he recommended the sake made from omachi rice a lot. The nigori sake here is nice, normally nigori is sweet but the one here has an unique flavor, its highly recommend. read more

This place is tiny, so pick your fellow visitors accordingly. It is absolutely worth the trip, both to try the sake (including sparkling sake, which is delicious and amazing) and to learn more about the sake making process. The husband and wife team who run the place are charming and super knowledgeable. There are a couple little tables indoors and out to sit and sip if you so desire, but I recommend standing and chatting if you can. read more

I was surprised to happen upon this place and read the history. Who knew sake was made in BC! We tried the sake trio tasting and it was very difficult to pick...they were all delicious! Very impressive. read more

You think you know sake, If you haven`t spent several evenings at the sake bar in Tojo`s the warm stuff you drink with gusto is just that warm stuff. So go down to GI and try some real sake, it is normally drunk cold or ice cold, it has all the nuance of wine and comes in many styles. Here you can taste 3 that go from dry to semi dry and you may run into one of the seasonal sakes he runs, take a few bottles home you won`t regret it. read more

Tiny shop with one server and slow service. Unfortunately two of the ones our group wanted to try was unavailable (not indicated on the menu) and the verbal description provided for "off-dry" was that it was "not dry, off-dry". Overall sake we were able up try was fairly bland. read more

3 sake tasting for $5. We stumbled upon this place while walking around. It's a nice place to just sit down and relax for an hour. The are offering a good deal on sake tastings and appetizers. read more

If you find yourself on Granville - make sure to stop by this place. They have a great story and they even managed to grow their own rice in BC. After doing the sake tasting here - we were at the Fairmont for the Jazz festival and there was a sake based cocktail on the menu that was from the sakemaker- of course we tried and it was delicious. A great memory from the trip read more

Great sake, plus the tasting portions were great to sample all of their varieties of sake. Good service, great sake!

This is a great place for an out of towner like myself to visit. Even thought I do not drink sake I LOVE to cook with it and this is by far the best quality I have ever bought. I just wish I had gotten more! I will be back on my next visit up north! read more

Came here for a sake lesson last year even though I don't drink. I am a foodie and I love learning anything and everything about food. Good lecture and wonderful host. read more