Sure I am always impressed by the window displays in this place, and am blown away by the sheer volume of sake it contains. But is it good sake? I sent my Japanese buddy, Daisuke, in one night to pick up some bottles for a dinner party. He emerged with a huge smile, and three bottles of sake (one of them bigger than a gallon of milk). Apparently True Sake does indeed have a stellar selection ("better than my favorite store in Tokyo", says Daisuke). And a friendly and knowledgeable staff to boot. read more

If you're looking for Sake, this store absolutely has to get a 5 star. From the little Bambi cups to huge bottles, cheap to top shelf - this place has everything. Selecting a Sake can be daunting, but the staff are very helpful and every bottle has a little description including flavour profiles of other food and beverages that you might enjoy if you liked this sake e.g. "if you like crisp citrus flavours, white wine, pale ales - you will enjoy this sake". Such a great idea! It makes the process so much easier, with the girls there on hand to clarify if you have any questions or want to get a personal recommendation. read more

If you like sake or want to learn about it, this is the place to go. These people know sake. Which is such a great thing since the knowledge of sake at wine stores tends to be faint. The store is very small but well laid out and nicely designed. The people are pleasant and informative. They make it easy to choose from the mulitude of sakes that they have. I grabbed a few bottles that I knew I could not get back home in Chicago and enjoy them with some nice sushi. read more

DING, DANG, DAMN! Why doesn't this place have a national chain?! This is what I have been looking for, for years...and it is in another state! Beau - pack your bags and move north please, please, please!!! If you are like me, you would have had your first sake - hot, alcoholic, and painfully powerful - while eating sushi somewhere. You thought - or at least I thought - "Hey look at my I am soo f'n traditional, authentically going it the Japanese way!" "I thought, well it must be good stuff cause that is what they serve here and they are Japanese and know fish." Unfortunately not always true. And then I tasted a cold sake from a japanese place that had a sake list. What the?! A sake list? "Hey this stuff is AAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhh "queue the angels singing" MAZING!" I would say I know a thing or two about wine and can tell a red from a white, but did not know that sake could be sooooooo goooddd! So subtle, so not traditional California wine smack you in the mouth for effect stuff. It is like the most magic 'adult' rain water - essences of flowers, melons, grasses and more. And decidedly not rubbing alcohol substitute! True Sake is the Japanese Mecca (no offense to meccaites intented) for people you want the experience life's essences. It is the mother of all motherships. I wish I could beam myself there now. I wish I could beam me and Beau to Japan to tour the breweries. True Sake has everything I need to learn more about sake and enjoy a new thing in my life; except a local outlet. The tasting notes are very easy to read. The wine comparisons are fabulous for newbies like me ...and admit it you. The staff is knowledge, polite and just the right amount of helpful. If only they had sample bottles open of every thing...and could read my mind... and had a transporter...then this would be the perfect. I cannot wait until next week when I am back in the city and can go worship at the feet of my Buddha Beau! Go in there and not hear the angels sing and feel your heart rise up on high...I dare you! read more

True Sake is not your average liquor store. The first thing you notice is how beautiful the space is. Everything, whether for sale or not, is arranged perfectly. and A lot of the decor is created out of sake bottles, giving the whole place a funky feng shui that is sure to please. But these guys take their sake very seriously. I went here on a whim looking for 2 sakes I had tried at various sushi bars over the years. Both were at true sake. Don't know much about sake? There is a wealth of information here. ANd the prices are not unreasonable. I would definitely go check this place out. read more

This is one of my favorite places in San Francisco. Don't know what kind of sake you like? No worries, Beau (the owner) has a little sign by every bottle that tells you what it goes with and what kind of wine and beer it's similar to. Or just tell him what you like, or what you're planning on having it with, and he'll help you find the perfect sake to meet your needs. My personal favorite? Tenzan. I bought it because of the cool packaging (it's the one wrapped in banana leaves tied with twine), but it ended up being my favorite tasting one too. read more

Sake shopping at its best! Cute boutique with a huge selection of tasty rice wines! The system in the store is easy to understand and the workers helpful! If you love sake, check it out! read more

- You'll find unusual sake, artful glassware, and sake books (including Beau's book, which he will sign for you!). -My go-to spot for gifts: housewarming, wedding, engagement, dinner party, etc. Grab a few bottles, glasses, Beau's book, and have them wrapped up. - Sake prices are surprisingly low (about the same as Asian superstores), and you know it's been stored appropriately. That's important, because I've seen some dust-fuzzy bottles elsewhere. -Try some of their sparkling sake! Great alternative to champagne; very refreshing and fun (Hana Awaka is my favorite). The girls in the store are helpful and they don't up-sell you. They've picked out great sampler sets for me. You can trust every recommendation. read more

Whether you are a sake connoiseur or a sake virgin, this store will be heaven. Not only are the staff amazingly knowledgeable (they helped me find my favourite sake even though I only remembered the picture on the bottle), they are wonderfully friendly and are eager to make suggestions for sakes to try. They'll take into considerable of what your preferences are and will come up with some fantastic choices that's bound to suit your palette! read more

The Masumi line of sake, specifically "Sanka", was the first to make me believe that I did like sake at all. It was absolutely revelatory. However I haved searched high and low for this and it's been near impossible to find. Until now. Enter True Sake. I had done a search online to realize that they were in SF. Not only did they carry Sanka, they had Yumedon and Nanago too, a plethora of Masumi choices. How did I not know about this place? It's an absolute sake lovers dream. read more

This shop is awesome!! where else can you find boutique handcrafted sakes and detailed reviews/ratings of the different qualities/attributes of the different sakes. This store could be called "True Sake (Heaven)" for those of us that walk in and feel like we've arrived at the pearly gates when we see bottles of cloudy white nigori one after another. To add to the delightful drinks they even sell beautiful vessels for pouring and drinking the sake. I love my little set of 2 glasses for drinking chilled sake - blue bits of glass melted to form fluidy flecks of blue on a clear cup - a work of art. read more

THE ONLY place we've found thus far that sells our favorite sake: Dewazakura Oka. We tried it at Yoshi's in SF, but when we went back, they no longer carried it. *tear We were SO thrilled when we found it on the menu at Izakaya Ginji in San Mateo, but it was $46 a bottle. Le sigh. And then we did some Googling and stumbled on True Sake. After many failed (read: forgotten) attempts to swing by here while in the city, we finally made it out on a Saturday afternoon. We were graced with prime parking on Hayes and enjoyed our experience in the cozy little sake store. True Sake was having a seasonal sake tasting of 3 sakes for only $1. W was shocked and thrilled by her first experience enjoying QUALITY sake that was fragrant and not nasty/bitter. She then understood why we made such a big deal about trekking out here just to buy some sake. And not just any sake. Dewazakura oka. The friendly cashier was super helpful in advising how to store and drink the sake. Husband was so excited to find the oka that he pleaded to buy 2 medium sized bottles for $35 each. It was pricey... but when we went home and enjoyed our oka, it was worth it. I wish I could give True Sake another star, but the oka wasn't all that much cheaper than drinking it out at a restaurant. But, I'm hoping we will become regular enough customers to take advantage of their 20% off coupon for Five Stars (loyalty reward system) members. And, if they carry such a rare specialty like the oka, I'm looking forward to going back again to be introduced to equally flavorful new finds. **Also, check the website. They have a system that should make it easier for you to park? read more

Great shop with friendly staff and a wealth of information about sake. Descriptive tags on almost every bottle with a wide range of reasonable pricing. Fun stop on our recent trip to San Francisco. Special thanks to Chris for all his help and expert knowledge ! Good luck to the shop. Just another great stop on Hayes street. read more

I'm not one for sake, but the bf loves it here and we stop in whenever we're in the neighborhood. The selection seems great for such a small shop and the service is excellent and welcoming, which is what you'd hope for such a niche concept. read more

TOKIMEKI!! what more can i say?? sparkling sake. it's a little piece of liquid heaven in a bottle. and true sake has it!! (btw, they also ship it all over the country.) this place has every possible versions of sake available to mankind... from all over the place. they also have other sake paraphenalia like sake cups/sets/pottery and books. they also publish great newsletters. looking forward to next year's april fool's newletter. read more

I"ve decided sake is my new favorite beverage. And, until finding this place and their guidance, I would pick my sake by the decoration on the bottle. Thankfully, I now have a place to go and ask questions and get helpful, friendly answers. They have the cutest sake-drinking accessories, too. And, they sell the Calpis I've been searching for--what sounds better than Calpis (sounds like cow-piss to me, but it's yummy!). read more

If you're into the whole Animism thing like me, you'll find that the Sake spirits inhabit the expertly appointed displays in True Sake. They'll guide you as you shop. If that's not happening, leverage the encyclopedic knowledge of True Sake's staff. My girlfriend shops with notions like "the bottle kinda looks like this" and "the name sounds a bit like that" and we usually walk-out with what we're looking for. Don't forget to sign the guest register w/ a valid e-mail address..*wink* read more

So fine, so fresh, and so clean. I convinced the regular office wine club folks to give sake a try. We made up a description list and went to see Beau, who hooked us up with a fantastic array of daiginjo for prices that won't scare off any wine snobs. Even the serious Pinot Fans had to give out praise for the flavors. Sure, once you find it here you can get the same bottles elsewhere, and they may be cheaper, but you cannot beat the value Beau provides in his knowledge and recommendations. When you don't know what to give for a gift, give someone sake. read more

The best Sake selection I have seen in San Francisco ranging from $7-$100. The storefront is quite small but just big enough to show case all the sake on all four sides of the shop. To be honest I know nothing about sake and neither does my boyfriend but he loves it more than anything so coming here was a treat. The staff is quiet but extremely helpful in answering all the questions that we had. We ended up leaving the store with 4 different kinds of sake which all came out to $35! It was definitely worth it! So if you're ever looking to try something new this is definitely the place to go. read more

We just went here last night for their $1 tasting. Very cute place, and a HUGE selection of Sake. We paid $1 and were able to taste 4 sakes. The only thing I didn't like was that there was a representative from one of the companies there who was running the tasting, so we only were able to taste from his company. It's also pretty small, and so when more and more people started to show up, it was a bit crowded. The woman who was working there was super friendly and very knowledgable. My fiance and I are looking into doing a san san kudo ceremony in our wedding, and though she didn't know much about it, she was as helpful as she could be. We really enjoyed it! read more

Highly recommend this sake store if you like sake or if you're just a beginner! I'm not really someone who is into sake or alcohol in general, but I came here to find a sake for my friend. The staff were very helpful and knowledgable! They also have an option to order online and pick up in store. I don't think they are letting people inside right now due to covid, but they meet you at the door and have an iPad to show people recommendation or to help navigate the website. read more

I use to think that sake was drunk hot from the microwave at cheap sushi houses, now i know better. With True Sake, you don't have to be uneducated about Sake. You will discover a world of Sake beyond the likes of Ozeki and Sho Chiku Bai et al. They'll teach you about all the types of sake from Ginjo to Junmai to Nigori. My personal Fave now is sparkling sake....what was that?...sparkling sake?....yes, sparkling sake. Usually about half the alcohol of non-sparkling sake, but with all the flavor. Just walking into into this place amazes me with all the awesome looking bottles of sake especially the little 300 ml sizes. They also have a neat selection of sake glasses. For you 70's kids: SAKE TO ME!! read more

If you are a Sake connoisseur this is the place to go! Different varieties with descriptions to fit your Sake drinking palette. I'm not going to tell you which one I prefer (Thanks DLB)...but I've just recently called around some other stores to see if they stock it because I love gifting it...It's the only place I know that carries my favorite sake... Kampai!! read more

Sake is like art... but better, because you can get drunk. (Sarah-ism) It's wine for Asians. This store has a great selection, and different sized bottles. You can get a cute bottle for $10. They also sell sake glasses, books, and other cute sake related items. The staff here is knowledgeable and non-snobby. read more

Ahem .. my haiku, tanrenga style: the little lady is allergic to the wheat so buy red rice ale japanese beer made from rice expensive but delicious (extremely difficult to find - True Sake has!) read more

Knowledgeable staff which great selection of sake. Joined the royalty program where at your 6th purchase you get 20% off. I am at my 5th now so I am almost there! I always will ask for the staff to help pick a sake - that way I am always trying something new. There is so much to learn about sake, and True Sake is a great spot for that. read more

I used to be their regular customer thinking they stock rare sake, until I found out the one I like is also available at Nijiya Market at $20 cheaper. It is also $20 cheaper at many places online. Worst is that the price on their own website is $10 cheaper than at their own store. read more

I need to shake this guy's hand! What a great idea. Sake up the yin yang and all is good in SF. Finally, someone takes on an appreciation for one of the only drinks that should be served with sushi (well ok next to an Orion beer). Praise the Sake gods! True Sake is an SF gem! read more

I can't really say more than what's previously been said - but the selection is better than anywhere else I've ever seen; and according to a lot of reviews and word on the street - it's one of the biggest outside of Japan? wow. Anyways... aside from the selection their staff is very friendly and helpful and the tags on each bottle have food pairings and pretty nice descriptions to help you choose something new of if you're new to rice/plum wines. AND they have a rewards program so... that's a bonus. Anyways - great place in a nice area of town. Stop in if you want sake. read more

I "discovered" good sake at Hog Island Oyster co. @ the Ferry Bldg, but I had no idea where to get the good stuff. I went to some Japanese grocery stores, but was faced with a selection of inscrutable labels. I saw some stuff at wine shops, but again I couldn't tell which bottles were worth investing in. Then my wife found True Sake and I was saved!!! Even though I only get around to True Sake occasionally, it's been my go-to place for a sake fix for a few years now. So what's to like? Awesome selection. Helpful, knowledgeable, friendly staff (got a great reco from Miwa last time I was there). Sake is handled properly--no bad bottles (sadly, even fine wine shops that should know better don't). And, most importantly, Beau Timken is not a Big Turd (a little inside joke for the newsletter subscribers). read more

One of my favorite shops in San Francisco! I love the selection of sake they have here. I've never had a bad sake in all of my tastings from bottles here. The descriptions are supremely helpful in deciding and sometimes, they make me pick up a bottle just to try! The ladies there are very knowledgeable and willing to give advice if you are indecisive! I always make a point to stop by here any time I or my friends are throwing a sake-tasting party. Just don't forget to read their online newsletter all the way to the bottom. ;-) read more

Bought some Wakatake Daiginjo Sake Onikoroshi - Demon Slayer at True Sake. Delicious beverage. The saleswoman knew her stuff and the inventory and was able to steer me to a great choice in my price range. The selection was incredible and well labeled. It was great to be able to browse in peace and then ask for help when I was ready. read more

What a fantastic shop! We strolled in after drinks at Absinthe to grab a bottle of sake. But what to get? The shopkeeper was very helpful in asking what we liked. There were even sake in fridges if you desired a cold one. And since we were there, we also asked about the sushi spot across the spot. The clerk mentioned it was good but not her favorite (note they do waive corkage if you bring the sake from this store over there). We got a reco for Umi Sushi across town and vowed to try it. They also waived corkage if we brought sake in from True Sake. Let's see if our bottle would last that long. I also thought it was really cute they had reusable bags just for sake bottles (canvas bags with an outline of a sake bottle, marked sake). read more

Long ago at a sake bar far far away I ordered a can of sake and it was the most amazing sake I've ever had. Everywhere I go that sells or serves sake I look for that little delicious can of heavenly sake on the shelves or on the menu. Well, my search is over. Thank you True Sake for reuniting me with the sake of my dreams. I will be back to purchase more in the near future. read more

Been coming here to stock up before heading back to the East Coast, where selection is super limited. I'm not one of those people who can drink wine or sake and instantly come up with an impressive slurry of adjectives to pinpoint all those delicate nuances but look- I just buy bottles until I find one I really like and then have Beau recommend the next one. It's that easy. Also- had a pleasant exchange with Beau where we realized we'd attended the same Grateful Dead/Violent Femmes show in Buckeye Lake, Ohio in 1990. He gave me a nice little shitkicker can of sake and sent me on my way. read more

True Sake is really awesome! Especially, if you like Sake or want to know anything about Sake. Plus, for all you wine-snobs, it's time to turn into Sake snobs! And, True Sake is the place to help make that happen. The staff is truly knowledgeable and they'll help you pick out a new Sake that you may have never tried. They're in the right place in the City too - Hayes Valley. Enjoy living in San Francisco...go to True Sake. read more

So I thought True Sake only carried the rarest of the rare, and hard to import sakes.... Turns out several of their $10-$17 for a small bottle nigori sakes can be found at: BevMo! on VanNess Kukje Market in Daly City I come here to make a list of things I want to try, then go scout them out in other places for 1/2 the price. Don't be fooled - I was happy this place opened but I am taken aback by how they're fleecing sake to the trendy, hipster folk. read more

True Sake is a wonderful place to go. Beau is such an expert, and has such a passion for sake it's wonderful. You ask him "what's good?" and he'll tell you "all of it!" He's cool like that. Tell him what you're looking for. Fruity, sharp, earthy, and he has a recommendation for it all. He introduced me to the best sparkling sake I've ever had in all my life! I love him, he's a sake god! You can also sign up for newsletters from him. Visit the website, it's very well put together. http://www.truesake.com/ Beau also has a great book called SAKE: A Modern Guide which I found very helpful when I was first pursuing sake endlessly. He had some great ideas which I used when I had a SAKE TASTING PARTY. Don't be intimidated if you don't know where to start. The people here are really helpful, and if you are too shy to ask for help, take the time to read the descriptions, they're pretty dead on. I talk to Beau like I know him. He probably thinks I'm crazy, but it okay. I leave here with a a few bottles, and well, I've never been disappointed. I've tried the pineapple sake fermentation with one of his recommendations, and it came out alright... MMMM...pineapple flavored sake...... Definitely recommend that you try the sparkling sake. Beau will lead you to it! If you are in the SJ downtown area, stop by Koji, Beau mentioned that he helped them with their menu. There's nothing like a fine sake buzz..... read more

I have been going here for a couple of years now. Selection is always abundant. People behind the counter are friendly and welcome you with a smile Give them the menu you want to purchase your sake to accompany and they will give you pairing options Great sake carafes if you are ever inclined, especially needed if you are an unfiltered sake fan and like to keep this fruity, visually murky sake treat chilled True Sake is always the place I go when I need to pick up more than just Momokawa Pearl from the local grocery store (if it is even in stock) read more

Wow, what an awesome sake shop! The first time I visited, I rushed in to pick up a couple of bottles of masumi for a friend before they closed (7pm weekdays). I was mesmerized by the selection; I'll definitely be back. You can browse their store online as well, but you can only order by phone. They will ship in California, too. read more

True Sake - Masumi yumedono and sanka sake - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - San Francisco, California