Where to buy daiginjo sake in Vancouver

November 3, 2009 10:24 PM

Where can I buy a bottle of Daiginjo sake in Vancouver?

BC Liquor Stores carry a number of Junmai and Ginjo options, but no Daiginjo, from what I've seen. Does anyone know where I might look (preferably downtown)? I've checked Granville Island already. Cheers!

posted by findango to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

Ask the folks at Irashai Grill, they have it on their menu.
posted by randomstriker at 10:29 PM on November 3, 2009

Granville Island Sake Brewery actually makes authentic sake, right in Vancouver, but it's all junmai.

Is there any reason why you actually need Daiginjyo?
posted by KokuRyu at 11:02 PM on November 3, 2009

As you mention, the provincial liquor stores don't seem to carry it, so you'd have to try the private stores to see if any of them bring it it. That said, anything sold in BC has to be approved by the LDB, so you may want to contact them to see if anyone has gotten approval to sell Daiginjo in BC.

From the website: "All beverage alcohol products sold in British Columbia must be imported or supplied by a local agent or supplier licensed by the BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch (LCLB) in Victoria. For more information, please contact the LCLB at http://www.hsd.gov.bc.ca/lclb/ or by phone toll-free at 1-866-209-2111.")

If it's not sold here, you can always try to special order it.
posted by filmgoerjuan at 11:21 PM on November 3, 2009

If you can't find it in BC (and the socialized liquor system makes it frustratingly difficult to get ahold of specialty liquor), consider a trip down to Seattle. Uwajimaya has an entire supermarket aisle dedicated to sake.
posted by Gortuk at 7:06 AM on November 4, 2009 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: KokuRyu: I'm having a tasting with a few friends, and wanted to sample across more of the types. I have a couple of the junmai and ginjo bottles from Granville Island already. Maybe I'll add a nigori.
posted by findango at 11:50 AM on November 4, 2009