Boston’s First Sake Bar

Photo by Kristin Teig

Hi club members.

We made some big announcements this week and wanted to break them down for you here:

tl;dr
1. In July, you can pick up monthly kits from The Urban Grape
2. We are opening bar at The Charles River Speedway in Allston-Brighton
3. We are going on tour! A summer long pop up series is in the works.

In the news.

Eater Boston
The Boston Globe
Boston.com
Edible Boston
Time Out Boston

Our Press Release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE KOJI CLUB WILL OPEN BOSTON’S FIRST BRICK AND MORTAR SAKE BAR AT ALLSTON-BRIGHTON’S NEW CHARLES RIVER SPEEDWAY

Summer Pop-Ups Along the East Coast will Continue the Sake Party Until Opening

Boston, MA (June 2021) –  The Koji Club, a virtual pop-up led by Advanced Sake Professional Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale, announces their opening of Boston’s first brick and mortar sake bar this fall 2021 at Allston-Brighton’s new Charles River Speedway marketplace. Located at 525 Western Avenue, The Koji Club will transform the culture and community it has built through its pandemic-pivoted virtual platform to a modern, cozy space. The Koji Club will continue to celebrate Japanese sake as well as those who love to drink and learn about its rich and nuanced stories.

Leading up to the opening of the brick and mortar bar, The Koji Club will be popping up with friends along the East coast for various events, spreading the sake gospel. Pop-up collaborations will include (details to come):

• Mr. Tuna, Portland, Maine

• Tiger Mama, Boston, MA

• Rebel Rebel, Somerville, MA

• Niche Niche, New York, NY

• Oddfellows Ice Cream Co., Brooklyn, NY (Domino Park)

Additionally, The Koji Club’s monthly subscription service and club meetings will move to a new home at The Urban Grape starting in July 2021. DiPasquale will also curate the sake line up at EBO & Co Grocery from Alexis Cervasio of East Boston Oysters arriving later this year. 

The Koji Club is a passion project many years in the making for Cushman Concepts (o ya, Hojoko, Covina, Bianca) alum, Alyssa DiPasquale. As one of the few female sake professionals in the US, DiPasquale’s goal is to share her unbridled enthusiasm for sake with Boston and beyond. Originally intended to be a brick and mortar sake bar, The Koji Club pivoted to a virtual platform in 2020 as a result of the global pandemic. 

Since June of 2020, The Koji Club has met virtually bi-weekly on Saturdays for a themed tasting of 3-4 sake varieties. Sake Kits cost $79 and include three 300 ml bottles or two 720 ml bottles of sake. Alyssa leads members through her curated bottle selection, basic sake learning and how to pair each bottle with everything from restaurant takeout to weekly meal plans. If guests cannot attend Club Meetings, they can opt for private virtual learning with DiPasquale.

DiPasquale has been studying sake since 2008 when she started working on the opening team of Boston’s award-winning o ya restaurant. Over the years, her role expanded to include sake education, public relations and marketing, branding, project management and learning and development. In June 2013, Eater National recognized Alyssa’s hard work and honored her as an Eater Young Gun for her sake studies. In December of 2019, Eater National recognized Japanese sake as the next big trend to keep your eye on and named Alyssa one of three leaders in the industry. For 13 years, she helped to build and grow some of Boston’s most notable concepts with the dream of one day opening her own sake project. 

Follow along with The Koji Club’s progress on Instagram and Facebook.

ABOUT THE KOJI CLUB

The Koji Club is a passion project by Advanced Sake Professional and Cushman Concepts (o ya, Hojoko, Covina, Bianco) alum Alyssa DiPasquale. Launched during a global pandemic, The Koji Club brought people together to discover something new while the world healed itself. The Koji Club hopes to be the starting point of discovery to an amazing new beverage and community. In 2021, The Koji Club will open its first brick and mortar location in Allston, MA. Join the party!

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Media Contact
Nicole Kanner, All Heart PR
nicole@allheartpr.com
(305) 984-4496.