Today we’d like to introduce you to Keldon Premuda.
Keldon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My business partner, Josh Hembree, and I came from a combined 20 years in the craft brewing industry at the time that we started Setting Sun Sake Brewing Co. Josh is a talented brewer and had the original vision for creating and edgy sake brewery. We felt that the beverage had not received the Southern California craft TLC and that our brewing influences could really set fire to a new variation of the same brew.
As we are born and raised in San Diego, we try to incorporate our interpretation of the local fusion culture into everything that we do. While we are known for our innovative creations, such as our signature hopped sake, we have recently released our “Ronin Clear” sake in bottles to select retailers throughout San Diego.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The Ronin is a symbol that to us represents being master-less or the way of walking alone. Our challenge to get to this point has been great, in that fresh sake made with quality in mind is uncommon in our region and many of the potential innovative crossovers has been mired by tradition, leading to an unfortunate preconception from many of our first-time tasters and buyers.
Many people think of sake as a beverage that only has the potential to taste like a watered down vodka and have a difficult time believing that there is such a wide range of explosive flavors that can be drawn out of the yeast, koji, and rice through various artisanal fermentation techniques similar to those used in craft beer and wine. It is a preconception that we are happy to be able to quickly overcome with our high quality, unique take on the sake brews.
Please tell us about Setting Sun Sake Brewing Co.
We are extremely proud to be the first to our knowledge to have created a hopped sake. The hop sake is a local favorite, especially for those who enjoy the citrus and floral aspects of the hop flavor, but have a difficult time with the intense bitterness of the amazing Southern California style IPA’s brewed by our neighboring craft beer breweries.
When incorporating fruit into our sake brews, we avoid using extract and unnatural flavorings by brewing with locally grown and supplied fruit and herbs that we process ourselves. We implement barrel aging techniques, using wine, bourbon, and rum barrels to age various special creations in. We host sake pairing evens with local culinary artists as well as pair with various artists to host seasonal galleries.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
While the cost of learning has been tremendous for us, I do not think there is anything that we could do differently. Despite the fact that we still ride the line between success and failure, we find so much value in pushing the innovative envelope.
We have been lucky enough to be a part and observe of several business owners, makers, and aspiring artists begin to create themselves and innovate in their own unique ways. It is so rewarding, to see new recreation and to renew hope with our brothers and sisters.
Our hope is that we always have the strength to learn from and overcome our challenges through time and always maintain our focus on excellence and rectitude.
Pricing:
- Ronin Clear 12 fl. oz. bottle – $12
- Tasting Room Sake Flight (4 x 3 fl. oz. tasters – Ronin Clear, Cloudy, Hopped, Special Creation ) – $15
Contact Info:
- Address: 8680 Miralani Drive, Suite 120
- Website: www.settingsunsake.com
- Phone: 951-757-1393
- Email: josh@settingsunsake.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/settingsunsake/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SettingSunSakeBrewery
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