The Koji Club is a safe space to celebrate, learn about and drink good sake.
Boston’s First Sake Bar
525 Western Ave Brighton MA 02135
Walk-ins Always Welcome, Limited Reservations
HOURS OF OPERATION
Wednesday 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Thursday 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Friday 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Saturday 5:00pm to 11:00pm
Sunday 2:00pm to 8:00pm
Make a Reservation
Walk-ins are always welcome. But to save a spot or book a sake tasting…
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Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale
Founding Member, Bartender, Owner“She laughs freely and often, a high and lilting giggle so powerful that a poof of glitter explodes from my phone while we speak. It is pure magic. She’s the ultimate party host, the sake-soaked pied piper of the everyman, and it’s working: while she’s typically known around town for her meticulously-curated lists featuring small rural brewers in japan, now she will probably be known as the one who introduced you to panda-adorned sake cups and changed your life forever.” - Cassandra Landry
Alyssa’s bio is too long to include here. Click the link below to learn more about her.
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Claire Makley
Founding Member, Bartender and Director of OperationsDriven by a love of humans and hospitality—particularly where they intersect—Claire started working in restaurants when she was eighteen. She most enjoys finding different ways to deliver moments of joy to guests and team members alike, especially when those moments center around sake.
Her love of sake led her to become a Level One Certified Sake Professional in 2016 and hopes to one day sit for her Advanced Sake Professional exam in Japan. Until then, you can find Claire excited to pour and pair her favorite sake styles with a variety of cuisines, totally enthralled by the beverage’s innate ability to complement any and all food.
What People Are Saying…
“There’s no one I know who is as passionate about both sake and hospitality as Alyssa, which is crystallized with every thoughtful detail that goes into the Koji Club. Over the last year TKC has transported us from our sofa to remote parts of Japan and brought the sakes we’re sipping to life through touching anecdotes about the producers and what makes them special. Now that their brick and mortar space is becoming a reality, I see many trips to Boston in my future!”
— Monica Samuels. Vice President of Sake and Spirits, Vine Connections
“I’m infinitely impressed with every sip and slurp I’ve had from Koji Club, which comes as no surprise. Alyssa is a not only a wealth of knowledge and a passionate, patient teacher, but she navigates the world of sake with an eye for quality and shares her discoveries with palpable enthusiasm. You can’t help but want more!”
— Gail Simmons. Food Expert, TV Host and Cookbook Author
“Alyssa is one of the most knowledgeable and dialed-in hospitality professionals I have ever known. Her infectious enthusiasm and passion allows her to take any subject and make it fascinating. Truly, she can do anything and Sake is where she shines. Her heart has been polished and brewed into what is now the Koji Club. Whatever form the Koji Club takes, take note and take notes, there's nothing else like it.”
— Tiffani Faison. Chef Owner, Big Heart Hospitality Group
“Sake is a unique beverage with the potential to appeal to anyone who enjoys a drink, sadly bound up in all kinds of artificial limitations, myths, and misunderstandings. The Koji Club breaks down all those barriers in style, leaving us refreshed and excited about this exciting, refreshing drink. Alyssa brings a depth and breadth of sake knowledge unrivaled in the industry, but what makes The Koji Club so great is that she is the most infectiously exuberant person you’ll ever meet. She’s like Highlights for Children magazine - fun with a purpose. Everyone who has joined the club already knows how lucky they are, and everyone yet to join will wonder why they waited so long; we all can’t wait to see what delicious thing she serves up next.”
— Andy Mullins. Director of Operations, Tilit
"Alyssa's enthusiasm for sake is downright infectious, just like her laugh. While her depth of knowledge is vast, she's more than willing to share it in a way that could make even the beginnerest of beginners feel comfortable. The Koji Club has crystalized that into a perfect package, and thankfully, has been able to share it in a way that makes everyone feel invited to the party."
— Cherry Iocovozzi, East Fork Pottery
“Alyssa is a rare combination of fun and knowledge. She is always eager to teach about sake and she makes it easy to learn. I was always intimidated by sake but ever since koji club, it’s become so much more approachable and I had no idea how amazing the world of sake is. I’m a fan of the beverage but also a fan of Alyssa.”