| School | Fifth Taste Sake School |
|---|---|
| Sake Educators | Jesse Pugach, KJ Rizzo and Kymm Swank |
| Website | https://sipfifthtaste.com/classes |
| jesse@sipfifthtaste.com | |
| Social Media |
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| Courses Run | Introductory Sake Professional & Certified Sake Sommelier |
Jesse is the founder of Fifth Taste, a San Francisco-based distributor devoted solely to artisanal sake. Fifth Taste was formed as a way for Jesse to express his love for artisanal sake by connecting American consumers with the craftsmanship and devotion of inspirational sake brewers. Since 2004, he has worked in a variety of capacities in the sake industry including Beverage Director at the iconic Ozumo Restaurant in San Francisco and Sake Specialist for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Jesse holds numerous sake certifications and is one of only a handful of JSA Sake Diploma holders in the US. His passion for sake education led to the formation of Fifth Taste Sake School in 2021.
KJ is a wine and sake sommelier in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has 15 years of experience in the beverage industry, most recently as Wine Director/GM of the wine bar and art gallery Hôtel Biron. In addition to her profession in wine, she specializes in sake and provides experiences and educational events to clients around the Bay Area. KJ spent 4 years working at True Sake, the first sake-only retail shop in the US. It was here that she deepened her love for sake and passion for spreading the sake gospel far and wide. In her spare time, she is a busy MW student and judges for competitions such as the International Wine & Spirit Competition in London. KJ is devoted to bringing premium sake to the forefront of Americans’ minds so they can experience the magic of this delightful and inspiring beverage.
Kymm is originally from Kansas City Missouri, where she was first introduced to sake by her father secretly sneaking her sips from his ochoko at the long shuttered Club Kyoto. She eventually went on to complete her undergraduate degrees at University of Missouri and moved to Los Angeles to begin working in the film industry.
Kymm always had sake, at my neighbourhood sushi spot but really fell in love when she moved close to a Japanese market. Kymm began trying different bottles and learning what she could from experimentation and the internet. This led her to John Gautner and his Sake Professional Course after which she was hooked and dove headfirst into formal sake education.
In 2024 Kymm won an Instagram pairing contest sponsored by #SupportSake and was invited on her first Sakagura tour in Japan. After meeting the brewers and touring the breweries she was struck by how deeply personal the process of brewing is. Such a tremendous amount of pride, creativity, and investment is put into the science and art of sake making. She realized that sake truly is an expression of family, place, tradition, and dreams.
And it is really delicious.
Following that transformative trip, Kymm began running tasting events and hosting informal sake classes throughout Southern California.
Kymm believes sake is an incredible beverage with an amazing centuries-old history and she wants to share it with as many people as possible. The sake community is tremendously welcoming and supportive. She says she’s been very lucky to have met and learned from incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and generous people such as Russ King, who continue to offer invaluable guidance for which she’s so grateful.
Formed in 2021, Fifth Taste Sake School was opened with the singular vision of spreading sake education to the masses. Utilizing nearly 20 years of experience in sake education and a passion for spreading the gospel of sake, Fifth Taste Sake School is at the vanguard of sake education in the US. Students of all experience levels will find a course that is challenging, thought provoking and most of all, fun! Whether you are working in the beverage industry and looking to expand your sake knowledge or if you are a sake enthusiast trying to becoming a savvy connoisseur, Fifth Taste Sake School has a class that is right for you
