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THANKSGIVING 2026

The best pairing for Thanksgiving isn’t wine. It’s sake.

Sake carries roughly four times the umami-building acids of wine and nearly three times the lactic acid, built for the richest, cheesiest, most flavor-packed table of the year.

Build your Thanksgiving dinner and drinks menu.

4×

the succinic acid of wine

Built for shellfish: think lobster, shrimp cocktail and clams.

3×

the lactic acid of wine

Built for cheese, sourdough and miso, your richest sides.

∞

possibilities

Sake pairs with everything on the table, from appetizers to dessert.

Consider these our favorite matches, not strict rules — most of these bottles are happy to hop between dishes.

APERITIF

Start the feast with bubbles

Hakkaisan - AWA - Clear Sparkling White Koji

$98

Apple, citrus

Kick off the feast with bubbly! This sparkling sake will dazzle Champagne lovers with refreshing notes of apple and lemon. The use of white koji adds acidity and brightness, so it pairs well with shrimp cocktail and tomato-mozzarella skewers.

SILVER, LUXEMBOURG SAKE CHALLENGE 2022 · GOLD, JAPAN WOMEN’S SAKE AWARD 2023

Pairs with shrimp cocktail, mozzarella

Shrimp cocktail on a platter with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce, with an inset image of a bottle of Hakkaisan sparkling sake.

SIDES

Your cheesiest, richest dishes deserve this

Yano - Umami - Aged Kimoto Junmai

$49

Mushroom, honey, nutty

Brewed with the traditional kimoto method, then aged for greater smoothness and umami. Notes of mushroom, honey and nuts make this the sake for your richest, cheesiest sides. Pair it with mac and cheese, veggies au gratin and stuffed mushrooms.

Pairs with veggies au gratin

A zucchini gratin in a white baking dish, with an inset image of a bottle of Yano sake.

Kubota - Daiginjo - Genshu

$56

Flower, pear, mushroom

Smooth, dry and undiluted with a soft umami and clean finish. Floral and fruity flavors meet some earthiness in this unique brew. Mashed, scalloped, or loaded and baked — this bottle is the move for indulgent potato dishes.

Pairs with mashed, baked or scalloped potatoes

A plated meal of a baked potato, quinoa, and green beans with a bottle of Kubota sake.

Juemon - Junmai

$49

Melon, apple, cucumber

From Tokyo’s oldest sake brewery. Refreshing cucumber and melon meet a peppery finish for depth — a perfect complement to buttery bread stuffing and herbs.

Platinum, Best with truffle, Milano Sake Challenge 2026 · Gold, Kura Master 2019

Pairs with Stuffing

Bread stuffing with dried cranberries in a baking dish, with an inset image of a bottle of Juemon sake.

MAINS

A symphony of flavor for the main event

Sawanotsuru - Plum Sake

$35

Apricot, dried fruit, caramel

Ume plums bring the sweetness and tartness that roasted meats crave — the same idea behind cranberry sauce, plum sauce and honey glaze. The juiciness of this bottle is bolstered by a satisfying smokiness, appealing to those who don’t usually like sweet wines.

Gold, National Umeshu Competition 2024

Pairs with turkey, duck, ham

Sliced roast turkey on a platter, with an inset image of a bottle of Sawanotsuru plum sake.

Urakasumi - Genshu

$52

Vanilla, honey, apple

Give your Thanksgiving meal some Japanese flair with melt-in-your-mouth wagyu. “Genshu” (undiluted sake) is a great match for wagyu’s higher fat content. This sake’s boldness cuts through, while its vanilla-and-honey sweetness embraces the richness. Great on the rocks or warm. Also pairs with fried food.

Bronze, International Wine Challenge 2017 · Silver, International Wine Challenge 2015

Pairs with wagyu steak

A sliced grilled steak on a skillet with asparagus and an inset image of a sake bottle.

PALATE CLEANSER

A breath of fresh air before dessert

Sakari - no. 21 - Yuzu

$39

Yuzu, rice

At fine dining restaurants, lemon sorbet is a classic palate cleanser. For us, it’s ice-cold yuzu sake. Soft, citrusy and light, this bottle is made with yuzu from Kochi and Kagoshima.

Best of Class and Gold, Los Angeles International Wine Competition 2022

Serve between courses

A glass of yuzu sake beside fresh yuzu, with an inset image of a bottle of Sakari yuzu sake.

Dessert

A sweet nightcap

Kurosawa - Nigori

$24

Melon, cream

This bestseller is smooth, creamy and sweet with a charming melon flavor, like fruity milk in a glass. It wraps around your taste buds like a hug, bringing even more coziness to warm apple pie.

Silver, BTI World Wine Championships 2019

Pairs with apple pie

A lattice-topped apple pie with a slice removed, next to a bottle of Japanese sake.

Eight bottles is just the start

These are the ones we’d pour this Thanksgiving. The rest of the shelf is worth a look too, from everyday pours to rare direct imports.

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