Sawtelle Sake Company

Name

Sawtelle Sake Company

Legal name

Sawtelle Sake Company

Website

https://sawtellesake.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Sake Brewing

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Sake, Soju & Other Asian Alcoholic Beverages Producers & Brands (CRADAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sake & Traditional Rice Wine Production (AFAFAAAG)

Keywords

• Craft sake brewing
• Japanese rice wine
• Artisanal sake production
• Flavored sake beverages
• Sake tasting room

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tasting Room Sales: Direct sales of sake by the glass, curated flights paired with artisan cheese, and retail bottles and cans to consumers visiting the tasting room.
2. Wholesale Distribution: B2B sales to distributors, retailers, and on-premise partners (restaurants, bars) through wholesale orders of bottled and canned sake products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sawtelle Sake Company is a craft sake brewery that hand-brews unpasteurized (nama) sake from four ingredients—rice, water, yeast, and koji—sourced from California rice farms. The company produces a portfolio of bottled sake (Clear Skies, Super Nova, Northern Lights) and a Color Series of canned sparkling sake cocktails, and operates a tasting room in Los Angeles offering flights, by-the-glass pours, and retail takeaway. It also distributes its products wholesale to retailers, restaurants, and bars.

Product overview

Sawtelle Sake Company is a craft sake brewery in Los Angeles producing traditional Japanese sake using the four essential ingredients: rice, water, yeast, and koji. The product portfolio centers on four main offerings: Clear Skies (flagship unpasteurized nama junmai genshu at 15% ABV), Super Nova (yuzu citrus sake at 8% ABV), Northern Lights (red shiso-infused sake at 8% ABV available only at the tasting room), and the Color Series canned sparkling sake cocktails in five flavors at 7% ABV. The canned sparkling line (Pink, Blue, Purple, Yellow, and Yuzu Bomb variants) targets casual consumption occasions, while the draft and bottled sakes serve both on-premise and retail channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clear Skies Flagship full-bodied craft California sake (nama junmai genshu) with notes of melon, green grape, honeycomb, and apple. Slow-fermented and unpasteurized, bottled fresh at 15% ABV. SRP $32–$36 per bottle.
• Super Nova Raw Japanese yuzu fruit blended into craft California sake. Bright, low-alcohol citrus sake with yuzu peel, orange blossom, and fresh lemonade notes at 8% ABV. SRP $34–$38 per bottle.
• Northern Lights Red shiso-infused house-brewed sake with earthy, floral characteristics. Tasting-room exclusive at 8% ABV, not available for retail purchase.
• Color Series (Canned Sparkling Sake Cocktails) Sparkling sake cocktail lineup in cans at 7% ABV with five flavors: Pink (hibiscus and pineapple), Blue (spirulina, lemon, and yuzu), Purple (purple sweet potato and dragonfruit), Yellow (yuzu and ginger root), and Yuzu Bomb. Made with organic ingredients. SRP $6–$8 per can.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lopes Family FarmcoreOthersFourth-generation rice farm in Sacramento Valley supplying all sake rice for Sawtelle Sake. Practices Aigamo farming - a fully organic, regenerative method using flocks of ducks in flooded paddies to naturally fertilize and maintain rice crops, eliminating pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers.
• California Ricelands Waterbird FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring the ecological balance of California's rice-growing region. Works to recreate vital flooded habitats (surrogate wetlands) to support migratory bird populations through collaboration between agriculture and conservation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Yaegaki Sake: Established Japanese sake producer with US distribution under the Yaegaki brand. Comparable as a broader-incumbent sake brand competing for the same on-premise and retail placements.
• Hakutsuru Sake: One of the largest Japanese sake producers, with established US import and distribution. Provides shelf competition in the same product category and benefits from decades of trade relationships.
• Ozeki Sake: Major Japanese sake producer with a US presence. Broader incumbent in the sake category, providing imported alternatives on the retail and on-premise shelves where Sawtelle is trying to win placement.
• Takara Sake USA: US arm of Takara Shuzo, producer of the Sho Chiku Bai and other sake brands from California. A broader incumbent with significantly larger production scale, broader US distribution, and established trade relationships in the same category.
• Asahi Shuzo (Dassai): Producer of the premium Dassai sake brand, one of the most recognized premium sake labels in the US. Sets the premium pricing benchmark against which Sawtelle's higher-end SKUs are compared.
• Gekkeikan Sake USA: Long-established Japanese sake producer with major US manufacturing and distribution operations. Competes in the same on-premise and retail channels at far greater scale and pricing flexibility.

Direct peers

• Brooklyn Kura: Craft sake brewery in Brooklyn, NY that brews and packages on-site, operates a tasting room, and sells direct-to-consumer. The closest US analog to Sawtelle's DTC brewery-plus-taproom model.
• SakeOne (Momokawa): Oregon-based craft sake producer (Momokawa brand) with a tasting room and DTC distribution. Comparable as an American craft sake producer combining on-site brewing, branded SKUs, and tasting-room sales.
• Sequoia Sake: California craft sake brewery in the Lodi area, sourcing local rice and producing a small-batch sake portfolio. Direct peer as a West Coast craft sake producer operating in the same regional market.

Others

• True Sake: San Francisco-based sake retailer and importer. Not a brewer, but a key channel/ecosystem participant whose assortment and educational content shape US consumer perception of the sake category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sawtellesake

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sawtelle Sake Company