Sake Super Stars – New York’s Yuki Mori Still Kicking It With Stirling Sake 11 Years Later!
Earlier in the summer I visited Brooklyn Kura with my family and then headed out to Long Island for a beachy weekend. We asked the BK Team if they had any “presence” in the LI area, and they said check out Stirling Sake. And on our last day we drove by a place and my kid said, “Hey that’s Stirling Sake.” I asked my brood if I could run in to look around and say hello. My daughter had booked a dinner down the way, so I jumped out of the car and sort of meandered in.
After all of these years and all of this time out on the sake frontiers I can feel fellow sake souls when we are in the presence of each other. The restaurant had not yet opened for the evening, but I went in just to feel the vibe and maybe see the sake menu. And at that moment, a guy (an obvious sake guy) walked through the curtain from the kitchen, and said “Timken Beau.” And I was face-to-face with a fellow sake traveler, who was doing the lord’s work, Mr. Yuki Mori. Instantly I wished we had more time to talk and of course sip some sake together, but I had to run.
In our brief conversation, Yuki-san had me with the line “I’m still here.” I loved that, and I often feel the same way. He got his start in the biz at the legendary sake bar in NYC called Decibel, and we talked about maybe meeting each other there. The more we spoke the more I sensed that he was one of the original guys who was in the sake game for the love and pride of sake and not just the money. And I said right then and there that I wanted to feature him in the True Sake Newsletter. I told him to write something that will entice East Coasters to visit his beautiful restaurant, and I would write something honoring a pioneer and a sake original. And we are both still here!
Hello, my name is Yuki (pronounced You-ki), not to be confused with Yuki, the word for "snow" in Japanese.
I arrived in NY in 2003, during an "Economic Ice Age" in Japan to brush up on my English skills in hopes of better employment in Japan...and here I am in 2026, still in NY, now Owner/Operator of my pride and joy, Stirling Sake. I cook, serve Japanese food and try to spread the joys of Sake in my community where
I manage my restaurant. The language barrier is a little tough, but I found my calling.
Prior to opening Stirling Sake in 2015, I found employment at Decibel...a Sake bar where I learned about Sake in a very profound way through tasting (yum) and quickly realized that this "Sake phenomenon" is worldwide and people from all around the globe are starting to enjoy sake. I believe that Sake has the power to elevate any aspect of your life when consumed responsibly.... when you drink sake, the Gods of Sake protects you, so grab yourself a sparkling sake instead of sparkling water!!
I opened Stirling Sake in September of 2015, in Greenport, NY, on the east end of North Shore on Long Island.
People do mix up Greenpoint, NY with Greenport...Greenpoint is in North Brooklyn, and only 20 minutes from NYC, but we are in Greenport, 2hrs from NYC...just to clear up any confusion. Once you get out east to Greenport, you can smell the ocean breeze right away, and the seagulls flying above welcoming you into the town of Greenport, where "ocean to table" and "farm to table" are the standards in this town. You will find the freshest oysters, clams and bay scallops, and with over 40 wineries in the area. Don't forget the countless privately owned farms that supply local restaurants as well as Stirling Sake with the freshest ingredients to work with. Matchbook Distilling in Greenport which makes unique Shochu using kasu from Brooklyn Kura. It is a great honor for me to be included in the Sake scene here in the USA, and much respect goes to the sake brewery workers all around the globe.
Stirling Sake currently carries 30 different sake as well as seasonal namazake and we serve sushi, sashimi, and rolls. When it comes to sake, my favorite is the Chikurin Ootoro right now. When it comes to the food...how can one hate anything that's so fresh? Our fishermen bring our fish right to the cutting board!!! The fluke is probably the most popular of the local catch, which our guests can't never get enough of....and our ever changing Seasonal Tempura is a huge hit among the guests, with rotating ingredients always changing with the seasons, where the veggies come from local farms in the area.
So why not come and visit to indulge in all the freshness and the relaxing seabreeze that runs through the town of Greenport? my team and I at Stirling Sake are waiting for you to come enjoy and learn about Sake...the amazing libation that doesn't dictate what you eat, but works with what you have. We are looking forward to seeing you in Greenport, NY.....if it only took you 20 minutes from NYC, you're in the wrong place.
Yuki Mori Owner Stirling Sake www.stirlingsake.com