Often times, things are free require obligation or just don’t present much value. Takara, a sake manufacturer in Berkeley, is a rare exception offering the community a free take tour and tasting. I visited the factory on a weekend with a group of buddies. The tour includes a small showcase of the equipment used to make sake in the old days before the automated assembly lines followed by a video that made me fall asleep. The highlight of the tour is the free sake tasting. An attractive female Japanese host serves sake and educates us in a cute voice. I tasted around six different sake ranging from dry to sweet, filtered to unfiltered. My favorite is the lychee sake, a great dessert sake that I think would pair well with a fruit tart. Some of my friends bought some sake at wholesale prices. The tasting room can also be rented out for parties and special occasions. Definitely, a must try tour.

Website: www.takarasake.com
Address:708 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
Telephone:(510) 540-8250