Kanpai! 

You don't need to cross the Pacific Ocean to find good sake! In fact, there are plenty of awesome places in Denver for you to get a little sip of Tokyo.

It doesn't matter whether you're a sake newbie or a Junmai purist, there's bound to be something in Denver's scene that resonates with you. Here are some of our favorite places to get sake in Denver, along with the options that make their menus memorable. Starting with: 

Colorado Sake Co.

Colorado Sake Company gets props for being the only authentic sake brewery in Denver, meaning it's one of the only true sources of Colorado sake. There's a lot to love about their lineup of varied drinks. If you're looking for a more traditional sake, then you can find it in their American Standard, which has just four ingredients: California rice, koji, yeast, and Rocky Mountain water. Visitors who want to explore the more adventurous side of sake can do so with their Cranberry Spice sake, which features both cinnamon and fresh cranberries, or their Vanilla Chai sake—and it's exactly what it sounds like: delicious. 

Go Fish

While the sake menu at Go Fish might not have the flashy infusions as some of the other places on this list, it's got more than enough carefully curated craft to stand in its own right. Of particular note is their Kikusui "Perfect Snow" Nigori, whose name is a good indication of its quality! If you feel like ordering on the fancier side, their Kiku-Masamune Taru is a cedar-barrel-aged delight that manages to be both smooth, crisp, dry, and sweet—four words that indicate top-notch sake. 

Hapa Sushi

Come for the sushi and stay for the sake—or the opposite works too! Whichever reason makes you visit Hapa Sushi is more than worth it, as this quirky Denver restaurant has a menu of creative sushi rolls that's matched by an incredibly cultured sake list. In addition to several Japanese classics, which include a delightful spread of Hakushika Family pours, they also have a unique list of infused sake. Each of these drinks consists of premium sake infused with fresh fruits, giving them a rich, refreshing flavor.  

Sushi Den

Every bottle on Sushi Den's menu is hand-selected by the restaurant's owners, meaning the sake list comes with a promise of quality that's hard to beat. If you feel like splurging, there are few things that pair better with a fancy sushi dinner than a $200 bottle of Dassai 23, which offers the kind of sweet and floral taste that can only be found in top-notch daiginjo sake. If that sounds like a lot of money to spend on a single bottle of sake, then rest assured, there are plenty of other affordable options. Their Ozeki Shirosasa is a delightful nigori (unfiltered sake)that has a creamy, borderline chewy texture.

What are some of your favorite places to order Sake in Denver? Sound off in the comments!