Assemblage Club, a sake brand made possible through the cooperation of three Kyoto sake breweries, and My Sake World, a place where individuals, restaurants, and businesses can create their own original blended sake. We spoke to the people who are supporting this new challenge of blending sake that transcends the boundaries of breweries about their current thoughts.
Shioriya Co., Ltd., which operates a variety of stores mainly in Kyoto, mainly serving original Japanese cuisine, actively offers blended sake at each store. We interviewed CEO Nao Nishido and Akiya Katagiri, who is in charge of product development, about their thoughts and efforts on the unprecedented project of "blending sake," and its subsequent impact.

I spoke to this person

Shioriya Co., Ltd. Representative Director Nao Nishido (left) and Sales Department Product Development and Purchasing Manager Akiya Katagiri (right)

Profile

Nao Nishido
Born in Kyoto Prefecture. After graduating from university, he worked for a general company other than the food and beverage industry. In 2014, he joined Shioriya Co., Ltd., which operates creative Japanese restaurants mainly in Kyoto. After working in various roles at headquarters, where he managed and oversaw the management of each store, he was appointed representative director in January 2024.
Akiya Katagiri
Born in Kyoto Prefecture. From high school, he honed his skills in the kitchen of a Western restaurant for nine years. He joined Shioriya Co., Ltd. in 9 after helping launch "Okazaka Zukkorobashi," a restaurant operated by the company. After serving as a manager at multiple stores for eight years, he is now in charge of purchasing ingredients and product development for all stores at the central kitchen, "Shioriya LAB."

Captivating fans with creative dishes for 35 years

Shioriya started as a small restaurant with 1988 seats in 28. Currently, it operates nine restaurants, mainly in Kyoto, and mainly serves original Japanese cuisine. Since its founding, it has been important to create a restaurant that "makes customers truly happy and makes them want to come back." This vision has not changed even after more than 9 years. The fact that the restaurant is always crowded with local customers is proof of this.
For many years, it is the sophisticated dishes that have captured the hearts of customers. Using local vegetables from Kamigamo and Kumiyama, and fresh seafood procured daily, each store makes its own stock and carefully prepares the dishes. "We are particular about not only the taste but also the presentation so that our customers will be impressed," says Akiya Katagiri, a chef with 25 years of experience who is in charge of product development.

The sake lineup includes local sake and famous brands that go well with the food. In 2024, "Assemblage Club Taro' (Taro Dash)," a blend of sake from three Kyoto sake breweries, was added to the lineup. When asked why they decided to offer a rare "sake blend," Katagiri, who is also in charge of drinks, said, "I had just been thinking about expanding my sake selection when I came across it and thought it was interesting!" The managers of each store who tried it gave it positive reviews, so they decided to include it. "It's very easy to drink, and I think even people who don't like sake will be able to enjoy it," said Nishido, who also likes the taste.

"Arigatou" is an original blend of sake that goes well with dashi.

"When I heard that I could make my own original sake, I wanted to try it. That's because, although the price is a bit high, the blended sake has a good reputation," said Nishido. He actually tried blending at "My Sake World," a facility where you can blend sake. Katagiri, who joined him, said, "I like whiskey, so I had no qualms about blending and enjoyed it with excitement."

They decided on a sake that would go well with dashi stock, which is a good match for shioriya, for the original sake, and ordered the blend from My Sake World, a professional sake blender. Three types were proposed. The choice of sake was decided by a vote, including the managers of each store. The drink that won the overwhelming majority of votes was the easiest to drink, and was later named "Arigatou (Thank You)." The person who named it "Arigatou" was the founder, Hasegawa Katsuaki, who said it came from his desire to convey his gratitude to customers.

"Arigatou." is an assemblage of brands from three long-established breweries, and is a pure rice sake with a refreshing taste that spreads and leaves a lasting aftertaste. This sake is recommended to be paired with the shop's proud dashi-maki and sashimi.

Although it has only been a month since "Arigatou" was introduced at each store, it has been well-received by customers. "It's made to go with the dishes at Shioriya, so it's a very special drink. It's also nice to be able to enjoy the special feeling of being able to drink it only here," says Katagiri.
"Next, we plan to create our own original sake at each store. Each store manager will be in charge of blending and naming the sake," says Nishido. His passion for sake is clear.

We want to continue offering rare sake

Finally, we asked them about their future goals and aspirations.
"In addition to blended sake, I would like to focus on rare sakes, such as freshly bottled sake that is bottled that morning, and sake that can only be drunk at a certain time of year," says Nishido.
"We will also be improving our cuisine, such as by adjusting the flavors and presentation to suit the times. We would like to continue creating sophisticated dishes, just as we have done in the past," says Katagiri.
"Thankfully, even through the coronavirus pandemic, many customers continue to visit our store. I think this is due to the foundation we've built up over the past 35 years. We won't rest on our laurels and will continue to strive to ensure that our customers leave satisfied," says Nishido with a sincere attitude.
He says he has a lot of things he wants to do, such as opening new stores and exploring new genres. We'll be keeping a close eye on how Shioriya, led by Nishido, will develop in the future.

About the production of original blended sake
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Writer: Mari Iizuka
I live in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City. I live in a privileged environment with many atmospheric sake breweries in the neighborhood. I like sake, but unfortunately I'm not confident in my palate. I prefer rich, sweet sake. My hobby is visiting art museums in Japan and abroad.