SakéOne, America's pioneering craft saké brewery, has announced a partnership with USA Curling Men's Team Casper to support the team's winter podium ambitions. The collaboration highlights shared values of camaraderie and precision between saké brewing and curling. Through social media and watch parties, the duo aims to raise awareness for both the ancient sport and beverage.
The partnership, revealed on January 29, 2026, from Forest Grove, Oregon, and Eden Prairie, Minnesota, seeks to draw parallels between the meticulous crafts of saké production and curling. Both emphasize mutual respect and quality, as noted in the announcement. For instance, curling's broomstacking tradition—where teams gather post-game and the winners buy the first round—mirrors the saké custom of pouring for others before oneself, fostering shared moments of hospitality. This alignment underscores the partnership's goal to educate Americans on curling, a sport often watched but not fully understood, alongside the versatile beverage of saké. SakéOne, founded in 1992 as an importer and brewing since 1997, is the nation's first successful craft saké brewery. It uses pure Oregon water and premium California rice to produce brands like Momokawa, Moonstone, and others, while importing select Japanese varieties from its Forest Grove facility. USA Curling, established in 1958 and based in Eden Prairie, serves as the national governing body for Olympic and Paralympic curling, with sponsors including Columbia Sportswear and Twin Cities Orthopedics. Its mission focuses on growing the sport from grassroots to elite levels as a member of World Curling and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Paul Englert, SakéOne's president, stated, 'SakéOne is honored to support Team Casper. For many Americans, curling is a commonly viewed yet little understood sport. We're hoping that through this partnership we can shine a light on the many things there are to learn and appreciate about both curling and saké.' Team captain Danny Casper added, 'We're incredibly grateful to have a partner who believes in what we're building with Team Casper. Having this kind of support allows us to focus on training, competing, and representing our sport and our community at the highest level. We're excited to grow this partnership and proud to have them alongside us on our journey.' To enhance watch parties this February, the partnership promotes saké pairings with foods, leveraging its low acidity, sulfite-free, histamine-free, and gluten-free profile. Suggestions include pairing pizza with Momokawa 'Diamond' or 'Silver' Junmai Ginjo for savory complements; risotto alla Milanese with Junmai Ginjo to amplify cheese flavors; and tiramisu with Momokawa 'Pearl' Nigori for a velvety finish. Social media, athlete profiles, and events will amplify these efforts, promoting one of the world's oldest sports and beverages.
