While visiting the Sacramento area with friends, we stopped in for a tasting. The factory tour is no longer available. For $7, you get a three drink 1 oz pour. For $10, you get a three drink 2 oz pour. The service was very kind and attentive. Drinker beware: Not All Sake is created equal. The small beautiful Japanese garden as nice to walk through after the tastings. read more

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Had the opportunity to visit recently and glad I did. This is a gem in Folsom and something unique to check out without having to travel far to sip on sake. They have imported sake from Japan and locally produced varieties. The process is really interesting to learn about how they make the liquor with just rice and local water. Some varieties have more or less of the polished rice grain which impacts flavor through starch production and fermentation. Several of the samples I tried were too sweet for me. My favorite was the locally produced "Black and Gold" and I of course brought home a bottle. The environment is clean and modern. Tasting room is open on Friday afternoons and Saturdays. read more

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Good price for sake tasting. The tasting room is bright & spacious. The sake are very good. We were given each complimentary Traditional sake with was so good! We ordered a flight of 1oz x3 sake of our choice: Nama Junmai, Plum Gekkeikan, and Zipang Sparkling. - Traditional Junmai: has a strong fermented rice aroma. It had subtle fruity flavor and refreshing - Nama Junmai: the fermented rice aroma was somewhat not as strong as the traditional but it had more prominent fruity flavor. - Plum Gekkeikan: sweet sake with prominent plum flavor and fermented rice aroma. The sweetness is similar to ice wine but it was less thick in consistency. It will be perfect to pair it with dessert. - Zipang Sparkling: easiest sake to drink! It had minimal fizz but had prominent peach note and very refreshing read more

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A blend of Kyoto tradition with a chill, California vibe. Loved the sand garden at the entrance and large windows overlooking the pond. Flight highlights: Zipang - Sparkling and refreshing, lightly sweet with tones of pear/apple. #004b - Rich, nutty, and almost whisky-like. Black & Gold- Smooth, with a mellow umami finish. Felt like the classic of the bunch. Perfect for a relaxing and fun afternoon. Great service, I will definitely return. read more

Gekkeikan Sake USA - Breweries Near Me - Folsom, California

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There's a sake BREWERY in FOLSOM! This local BREWERY makes their own sake. It's such a cute spot to visit. They have tastings and they even sell their local made sake. They do take reservations, but it's not needed. They also have a cute and calm garden outside, which would be a great place to walk around and enjoy. Kids are allowed, but must be supervised. There is plenty of parking, so no need to worry there. It would be so nice if they served appetizers, but they only sell sake. (besides the small snacks that they have for sale) It's free to get in. You just have to pay for your tastings or bottles. Just edited a few things to clarify. I appreciate the feedback! :) read more

This was my first ever visit to a tasting room. Unfortunately we were told that the inner workings of the tour were restrained after the pandemic. This would have been super cool to learn more and see the machinery. There were still some pretty interesting panels and information in the hallway. Bear in mind the "tour" is self guided, we were greeted upon arrival but that was it. There also wasn't anyone to greet us at the taste portion of the visit. There was an employee but they smiled sheepishly and left after a few minutes. We had a pretty decent service and the speaker seemed to be interested and well-versed in their presentation. They were nice and charismatic while serving us and offering some advice on what to tryout The tasting room was pretty cool they had a survey you could take to get a frosted sake cup. There was some merch like shirts and hats for sale. You were also able to buy gift sets of different sake. You were able to buy two different flights or taste test other options. Sake is a bit harsh for me so I definitely got a headache after tasting 2-3. read more

Loved it. Quiet, relaxing, with views of a Japanese garden. Delicious! Very inexpensive as well.

Horrible customer phone support! They don't know where they sell their sake at any particular grocery store. Their response was contact us on the contact page of our website or buy some from out processing plant in Folsom! The fact that they do sell their products in grocery and liquor stores but they have no clue which they sell them at is appalling! What garbage customer service. read more

First time stopping in, and it was such a stunning experience - from the tasting room, the sake, and the atmosphere of the entire place! The staff was very inviting, friendly, and helpful. After a thorough tasting, we selected some bottles to take home, and walked the absolutely beautiful grounds. We will definitely be returning soon! read more

Gekkeikan Sake USA - Sake flight in the tasting room! - Breweries Near Me - Folsom, California

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We visited the original Gekkeikan brewery (built in the 1600s) in Fushimi, Japan in 2019 while staying in Kyoto. Soon after, we found out that the only other Gekkeikan brewery was located close to home in Folsom, Ca and we have been meaning to visit since then! Apparently Gekkeikan looked at 30 other potential locations before settling on Folsom in 1989 because of the abundance of quality rice grown in the area and the access to spring water from the mountains. Although the factory may not be open for tours when we went, we had a wonderful time tasting sake and learning about the process and the different flavors and profiles created by the polish of the rice and use of yeast/koji. While we loved the clean flavors of the imported Gekkeikan sakes, I was surprised at how much I loved the locally brewed sake and experimental batches! Our favorites were the New Haiku and experimental #3. We went home with a bunch of sake for ourselves and for family. The tasting is free and the purchase prices are very reasonable. Highly recommend a visit! read more

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I've been wanting to come here for years and finally had the opportunity this past New Year's. Gekkeikan was founded in Japan in 1637!!! It means "crown of Laurel". This Folsom location opened in 1989 and they just celebrated their 20th anniversary. Weekdays, the self-guided tour, tasting room and gift shop is open from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm. It is advised to avoid the workers' lunch hour from 11-12 if you want to see the machines working. It's also open only on the SECOND SATURDAY of each month from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. Did you know that Sake is brewed? Unlike wine, it needs to be consumed while fresh...I learned a lot by walking down the long hallway of the factory and reading the signs. Afterwards, J.C. was our wonderful hostess in the Tasting Room and poured us samples of various choices. She was super informed and very sweet. Some of the sake available is brewed in Japan and some of it locally in Folsom. The gift shop can be a bit frustrating in that not everything in it is for sale. There are lots of cool things that are for display only. Another frustration is the lack of sizes available in the t-shirt section. Outdoors, there are small Japanese gardens, a rock garden and Koi fish in the pond surrounding the main building. 5 stars for J.C., 3 stars for the gift shop, 5 stars for the tasting, 3 stars for the self-guided tour- averaging out to 4 stars. read more

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Great little tasting room that is open Fridays and Saturdays. Very good prices and calm atmosphere. read more

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My normal Sake place in Berkeley is still closed for tastings and the museum tours. My sister and I were craving Sake and decided to go to Gekkeikan. The grounds are beautiful and the Koi pond is a nice treat to walk around and explore. When we entered the main building, we were greeted by a very nice lady and she confirmed our reservations. We sat at a comfortable table, due to the bar it having enough open seats. The lady handed us tasting menus and explained about the two different flights. We purchased one of each and tried 6 different Sakes. She then explained we could also sample any others it in the flights at no additional charge. The prices to purchase bottles are extremely reasonable and we were able to try a couple of "experimental" ones that are only available here. They also had a nice gift set that included two Sake cups. If you fill out an online tasting questionnaire, you also receive a free Sake cup. The only reason for 4 stars is that we would love to be able to tour the whole facility, rather than watch a video about how the Sake is made there. We did find out that all the rice they use is grown in the Sacramento region -Calrose rice. read more

Gekkeikan Sake USA - Sake Flight Tasting - Breweries Near Me - Folsom, California

Wow, did not know this existed. A fun experience to try different sake and learn about our area a the similarities with their other locations in Japan. read more

This was my first Sake brewery, so I didn't know what to expect. The tasting room is inside a building with a nice moat around it. We took the self guided tour of the brewery. As an Engineer, it was fun to see the process. nice stainless steel sanitary tanks, with dimpled jackets for heat transfer. Sigh. Once we returned inside, we were graciously shown the several products made at this brewery and at breweries in Japan. My tasting notes: - Black & Gold (6/10) 16% abv - good - Haiku (7/10) 15% abv - hints of apple, smooth - Ultra Premium Daiginjo Sake (8/10) 16% abv - very smooth! Good representation of sake. - Junmai Zipang Sparkling Sake (8/10) 7% abv - clean taste, similar to champagne except not as sweet. - Kobai Plum Wine (6/10) 10% abv, smooth dessert wine. All the sakes we tried were chilled. They also make most of the warm sakes found at local favorites such as Makuni's. This place is open two Saturday's a month, so if you're like me and have a day job, you can still access this Japanese world twice a month. read more

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Even though Gekkeikan Sake has been in Folsom for 27 years or so, I only recently learned of its existence. A friend and I decided to go to Gekkeikan Sake at about 2pm on a Thursday afternoon. There were not any other visitors in the entire facility, so we felt a little bit out of place among the workers. The self-guided tour is not much, but it is still interesting if you enjoy learning about how sake is made. It consists of wandering through a long hallway, looking into windows of the production facility and reading a few plaques. Seeing the bottling line in action was probably the coolest part of the tour. The best part of visiting Gekkeikan Sake was definitely the free sake tasting. The tasting room attendant (JC) was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the sake making process and all of the products. We were able to taste 5 different types of sake, some made in Folsom and some from Japan. Our favorite was the sparkling sake.The products were so good we had to buy a few bottles, all very reasonably priced (under $10 for quite a few of them). Bottom line: if you are the least bit curious about this place and enjoy sake, you won't regret checking this place out! read more

JC, our tasting room server was very knowledgeable and nice! She gave us a warm welcome, gave us cups to feed the Koy fish in the pond surrounding their building (so cool, so serene) We were able to taste 5 different Sakes and we let JC choose, they were all great! We decided to do the self guided tour since we were there during the regular lunch time; it was short, simple and informative but so do not expect any bells or whistles... Call and schedule a guided tour ahead of time if you'd like a more personal touch. The prices absolutely blew my mind, very reasonable! I bought two large bottles of Sake, one large bottle of plum wine, two small bottles of sparkling Sake, a small regular sake and some chopsticks with chopsticks helper all for $43.00!!!! Highly recommend checking this hidden gem out! read more

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This is a super late review. The hubby and I did the self-guided tour on 3/31/16 and had such a good time! We arrived right when the establishment opened, and it appeared that we were the only customers. Upon walking in, we were greeted by a lady who explained that there was a self-guided tour towards the back, and once we were done, we could come back for some sake tasting. The hubby and I proceeded towards the back and did the tour. The self-guided tour was not very informative. We walked into a building, which allows you to visually see the different phases of processing the rice must go through in order to become sake; however, there really is no clear explanation. There are some photos on the wall that express the gist, maybe even definitions (if I remember correctly), but not enough to truly understand what's going on at each station. The whole tour can take about 5 minutes, depending on how long you want to take looking through each window (there are about 5 windows?). Afterwards, you head back to the main building for sake tasting. The sake tasting portion of the tour is fun. I can't recall the lady's name, but our host was such a blast. She explained the sake process and explained the technique to us. She went into detail about the difference between cold and warm sake, etc. The sake room is small as well, and you can only sample a few...but it's TASTING people!!! Quit being greedy and buy a bottle if you want to get wasted. Lol. Sampling got me feeling good enough , so it wasn't like I felt I was short changed. Our lady did us right, and we did get to sample quite a few different sakes. Thank you, ma'am...if you're reading this lol. Anyway, this place was worth the visit and we definitely want to take the folks next time. It's a small place, so people have to keep that in mind. Plus, maybe not have such high expectations for the tour. Otherwise, the grounds is really pretty and tasting was soooo fun! read more

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Who knew that there was a sake factory in our own backyard? I don't know much about sake, so this was a fun little adventure. Hubs and I went in the afternoon and there was no one else there. It was nice to have the guide all to ourselves. Their tasting room is modest but spacious. Their sake is pretty good and the bottle are reasonably priced! Love their koi pond~ Remember to check in on Yelp and get a discount! read more

I am surprised that this place is not more highly rated. It's a free tour and sake tasting. I have to agree the self guided tour doesn't take that long and isn't particularly interesting. You walk a hallway and look into the window of different rooms- yes there is steam, lots of water on the floor, and the equipment looks old. The tasting room attendant was nice- you get to taste five sake for free and I felt like the pours were generous. The sake were all chilled and smooth. I enjoyed the pineapple and carbonated mango one the most. Left with those and the plum sake(husband's choice). Also signed up to be notified about the monthly sushi making class- sounds fun! read more

Quality items in a great atmosphere. Helpful staff and a variety if products. I plan to return there soon.

By far the most scenic manufacturing plant i've been to. There is a koi pond and japanese garden on site. I arrived a little after the factory closed but still could take a look, although some lights were off. A worker even swung by and asked if i had any questions. The tasting room, however, closes later, so i got the chance to fully experience various gekkeikan sake. My barista picked a few rare and exotic ones, such as sparkling mango sake, for me. You could only taste a flight of 5 sake. My favorite is the "unfiltered" sake which contains rice pieces. read more

I know that I've been spoiled in my tasting room experiences over the years, but wasn't impressed at all in this visit. It basically felt like we were ruining the Saturday of the person running the tasting. Overall, we felt kinda rushed (although there wasn't more than 4 people in the room that could have held 50+). Please replace the sample box of rice you show everyone! Pictures would have been better! The aging pieces of koji and sake lees is grose and you're giving sake production a bad rap. When you go to a brewery, they don't cart out hops that grain that are years old. Please reconsider what kind of image this presents to future sake lovers. So, telling us that we could have picked the 5 sakes we tasted, but only AFTER picking 5 for us and THEN explaining that she was only allowed to serve 5, why would you do that? Even if that wasn't the actually case, we interpreted what you said as that, so left feeling bummed/cheated. The other couple we were tasting with had many of their questions either dismissed or rebuffed by the woman conducting the tasting. Could see them getting a bit frustrated too. Would have been a one star, but we did pick up some nice tasting sake at a great price, and the other items for sale (cups, plates, chopsticks, books) in the tasting room were cute and reasonably priced. So to wrap up, if you're in the area and haven't tried any of Gekkeikan's offerings, then it might be worth the stop, but otherwise, stick to the craft brews when in Sacramento. read more

hmmmm. The drive was nice. We drove up while we were in the bay area. The self guided tour was wack and the sake tasting was a bit of a joke. The woman that conducted it was this miserable person with no people skills whatsoever and was dull as all hell. That did not stop us from purchasing several bottles as it was my ladies birthday and I would not let anything get in the way of her sake drunkenness. But, I would not go back. read more

Black and Gold baby! These kind folks were out at the Celebrity Chef Challenge this year (http://www.chefevent.com), and I fell in love with the Black and Gold Sake! The gentleman who was pouring was kind (and amused enough by my pesky antics) to keep pouring me more "samples" each time I came back until finally... It was all gone! Nooooooooooo! Only 4 stars since everywhere I go that actually does has their sake, doesn't seem to have the black and gold! :( One of these days I will make it up to Folsom to enjoy their tasting room and get a few bottles of their gold! read more

It's a neat place, but on the small side. Don't expect an elaborate or overwhelming experience. Really, if you're a sake fan, then you're here to see and taste sake-- the lack of aesthetics will not bother you. You can buy most, if not all, of the Gekkeikan domestic offerings. There's a nice selection of sake serving vessels/cups, and some clothing with G logos. Prices are pretty dang good, and this is definitely the best place to look for sake vessels. Customer service is helpful and friendly. Haiku is one of their better every-day sakes for enjoyment, IMHO. Keep in mind though, this is domestic USA sake. There is a huge difference between USA and Japanese sake, just like there is remarkable difference between French and Napa wines. Not going to argue which is better, you decide. A good place to go for an incredible selection of Japanese imported sakes is True Sake in SF. read more

When we were driving into the place we were almost run off the road and hit by an employee coming back from somewhere. The grounds are not that nice and the pond surrounding the building looks like they were desperately trying to create an ambience. The tour is self guided and boring...it is a joke. Looking into the brewing rooms and laboratory it just looked very dirty. I am not sure I would offer the tour and have customers see where the product is made of your not going to make it presentable. The tasting room was horrible. We were not welcomed in or asked if we wanted to taste. We were not helped because the lady behind the desk was to busy ringing up a creepy old man. I had been here once before and had a pleasant tasting experience... But, it wasn't with the person they had in the room today. She looked like a grump. So, I probably didn't miss out by not meeting her. Why don't you give your employees some of your product. Maybe they will lighten up and make the place more fun.... NO WONDER NO ONE GOES HERE! read more

Place looks cool but we asked the employees and they won't be doing any tastings or tours until 2022. We plan on coming back to try it so just putting 3 stars so they update their hours and website. read more

Extremely welcoming staff and a great experience overall. Try their selection of Sake and expect to spend around $65 on average for about five or six exceptional Varieties. Highly recommended. read more

I set an appointment for a friend and I to visit on a Friday afternoon. We were running a little late, so we decided to call and tell them. The girl who answered said it wasn't a problem. When we arrived, we were the only ones there. I was shocked! In Japan, there's always mobs of people waiting for a sake tasting. We had our 4-5 tastes of their sake and had a few snacks at their counter. Don't plan on coming here to get drunk, but rather taste the differences and enjoy their sake! My favorite is the Horin Sake and the Imported Plum Wine! Yum! The lady pouring was very knowledgeable. I learned sake factories are only on the west coast of America: 1 in Oregon, 1 in Berekely, Gekkeikan in Folsom, and 2 in LA. However you can only taste at the Folsom and Berekely locations. Gekkeikan Sake headquarters is located in Kyoto, Japan. I hit myself over the head for not knowing and not going to that location. Doh! Prices per bottle are very reasonable. They even place some on sale. Towards the back of the tasting room, they have sake sets, dish sets, etc. These are cheap compared to Macy's or other department stores with the same type of product quality. The actual factory where they make sake was closed for construction, so I'll have to check that out next time. read more

Random place for sake, but the tasting was free and we learned a few things about sake. My favorite was the imported plum wine ;) read more

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I was quite disappointed with our tasting. The sake itself was fine. The woman pouring should not be in customer service. She was condescending, rude and her spiel on sake was so overly memorized I don't think she even knew what she was saying. The tasting room hours are limited, especially on the weekends. If you're just looking to taste some sake and take a few bottles home, great. If you're looking for a fun, sake education, stay in Berkeley. read more

We were in the Folsom area and decided to stop by on the 1 Saturday a month that they are open we didn't get to tour the brewery but the tasting room was nice and we purchased several bottles and misc souvenirs everything was surprisingly affordable we are not huge Sake drinkers but we eat sushi a lot so it goes hand in hand read more

Whoda thunk that they make sake in northern California, and what a surprise that a local brewery offered tours and tasting. By tour I mean a self-guided walk-through of the small factory after you check in a the office building and the tasting is by an office employee looking to take a break from their desk work. Nevertheless the employee was very knowledgeable about their sakes, and the selection of this brewery was varied and of good quality. Got to enjoy some good plum wines and sparkling sakes. read more

My fiance and I stopped in to sample some sake and take a tour. Be thankful the tour is free because there is nothing to see. When we went into he tasting room we stayed in there for 10 mins and no one was even there except some blonde hair tall guy just talking on his phone. No one said anything to us and we hardly saw anyone at all. Tottaly sucked and a waste of time. You can't even see the koi fish because there blocked off. read more

Really pretty place. Hidden gem of folsom. They will give you a sake tasting for free --- he did such an amazing job i got the pineapple sake. They have really cool Koi fishes surrounding the main building. read more

This is a cute little place to take a friend or out of towner. It is hidden away off the main drag in Folsom. There is a small tour- really it is just walking up and down a long hall with large windows into the "factory". It is self guided and takes all of five minutes. There is a tasting room where you can choose from a few different sakes for a free tasting. The grounds are beautiful and I hear they have started offering a very affordable sushi class, which I wouldn't mind taking. The whole experience takes less than 30 minutes though so it isn't a knock your socks off place, but it is a fun little stop. read more

Super laid back & fun Sake tasting experience. Even was given a cup of fish food for the koi. Bought a bottle of Sake, Plum wine, and marinade for $20! read more