Bar Goto Debuts First Private Label Sake in Partnership with Koimari Sake Brewery

Acclaimed bartender Kenta Goto has introduced Bar Goto Private Label Sake, the first proprietary sake from his award-winning New York cocktail bar, Bar Goto. Created in partnership with Koimari Sake Brewery in Saga, Japan, the new release is now available exclusively at Bar Goto on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and Bar Goto Niban in Brooklyn.

A Junmai Daiginjo made with Omachi rice polished to 50%, Bar Goto Private Label Sake is served chilled and offers a fragrant, refreshing profile with melon on the nose, subtle effervescence upon opening, a mellow mouthfeel and mild acidity, followed by notes of mochi rice on the finish.

The release is a natural extension of the sake program Goto has curated since opening Bar Goto with his wife, Sarah Goto, in 2015. Goto’s approach to the bar has long been shaped by both his upbringing in Japan and more than 25 years behind the bar in New York, bringing a distinctly New York perspective to Japanese drinking culture. That personal connection extends to the bottle itself, with Sarah, fondly known as “Lady Goto,” designing the label. The release marks a notable year for Bar Goto, with Kenta also set to publish his first cocktail book, The Goto Bartender’s Guide, this October.

Bar Goto Private Label Sake is available by the glass for $17 and by the bottle for $90 at Bar Goto and Bar Goto Niban.

Sake Stats:

• Type: Junmai Daiginjo

• From: Saga, Japan

• Rice: Omachi

• Rice Milling: 50%

• SMV: -1

• Acidity: 1.5

• ABV: 16%

About Bar Goto

Founded by acclaimed bartender Kenta Goto, Bar Goto is an award-winning cocktail bar on New York City’s Lower East Side that blends Japanese attention to detail with the energy and spirit of New York drinking culture. Since opening in 2015, the beloved neighborhood destination has earned national acclaim as one of the country’s leading Japanese-American crossover bars, recognized for its thoughtful cocktails, warm hospitality, and lively, unpretentious atmosphere. A fixture in the NYC bar scene, Bar Goto has been named Bon Appétit’s “Bar of the Year,” Time Out’s “Bar of the Year,” and one of Esquire’s “Best Bars in America,” in addition to earning multiple James Beard Award semifinalist nods and Tales of the Cocktail nominations. Following the success of Bar Goto, Kenta and Sarah Goto opened Bar Goto Niban in Brooklyn in 2020, which was recognized as a Tales of the Cocktail finalist for “Best New American Cocktail Bar.”