Setting Sun Sake Brewing Co.

10/05/2025

LIKE this post and please FOLLOW Josh (Saigon Beer News) page on his next adventure at the 2025 BrewAsia Conference in Thailand!

🍶 Are you ready to explore the art of fermentation from a completely new perspective?

This year's ‘Beyond the Brewhouse’ session at Brew Asia dives into the fascinating world of Sake!

We'll be joined by Master Brewer Josh Hembree of Setting Sun Sake Brewing Co. for a unique masterclass designed for brewers. This is your chance to expand your understanding of fermentation and flavour.

In this special workshop, you will:

🎯 Explore the unique production and fermentation methods of sake.

🎯 Take part in an instructed tasting to deepen your sensory appreciation.

🎯 Enjoy an in-depth look into sake's distinct characteristics & complex flavours.

Broaden your fermentation horizons and find new inspiration to take back to your brewhouse.

👉 Book NOW, the show's only 10 Days away: https://www.brew-asia.com/

10/03/2025

Hello All,
Josh Here to ask for a favor to take a look at my new Project Saigon Beer News
I am preparing to launch the first issue and while this is intended to be an advertiser funded publication if I could raise some money to cover the cost of printing, graphic apps as well as to pay the writers and photographers that contribute
It would dramatically lower the cost of advertising and allow me to focus on the smaller independent breweries
Saigon Beer News – a bilingual indie zine that brings together the voices, stories, and art of Vietnam’s fast-growing craft beer scene. Think brewer interviews, beer maps, behind-the-bar stories, and local art, all packed into a DIY-inspired magazine.

I just launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund our very first issue. Your support will help us print, publish, and share the culture of Saigon beer with locals and the world.

🍻 If you love beer, stories, or just want to cheer me on—please check it out and consider donating here:
👉 https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/3358693

Every bit helps—from a digital shoutout to helping us get copies into breweries across Saigon. Let’s raise a glass together to make this happen!

Bringing the craft brewing community together one print and one pint at a time | Check out 'Saigon Beer News' on Indiegogo.

09/16/2025

As many of you know, closing Setting Sun Sake in 2023 was one of the hardest things Kim and I have ever faced. We poured our hearts into creating the finest craft sake in Southern California, and I will forever be grateful to the ones who believed in my vision, the ones that helped from the beginning, the employees, volunteers, and die-hard supporters who helped us live that dream.

The last two years have brought a lot of change. Kim is still at Matsu in Oceanside as the GM and Sake Sommelier, while I moved to Vietnam to continue chasing my brewing passion. Here in Saigon, I’ve fallen in love with the country, its people, and its incredible craft beer scene—it reminds me so much of early 2000s San Diego, full of creativity and energy.

That’s why I’ve started a new project: Saigon Beer News. A bilingual magazine dedicated to telling the stories of the brewers, bars, and community shaping Vietnam’s craft beer culture. My hope is to help stitch this vibrant scene together and showcase it to the world.

This is part of my own recovery and rebuilding—laying a foundation for the day we can bring Setting Sun Sake back to life. Until then, I’d love for you to follow and support this next chapter with us. Your love and encouragement mean everything as Kim and I continue our journeys.

Here’s to the future, and to the magic in every glass.

11/05/2023

https://gofund.me/c03970f7

Please like, share, donate to our dear friend and your favorite Sake’tender, Chef Aarti! She is currently going through some intense chemotherapy for breast cancer. Let’s rally to send her all of our love and support! Please check out the gofundme link to support Aarti! Thanks y’all.

09/12/2023

Hi Sake Fans, Kim here.

San Diego Sake Week is coming soon! I will be volunteering for .girl for the Sake Festival on Sunday 9/24/2023. If you still need to purchase tickets, use the code SSSFAN for a special discount on GA tickets! *Ronin Club members - DM me if you’d like a discount code for VIP tickets.*

Also - for SD Sake Restaurant Week, (where I now work) & will be hosting a sake dinner pairing featuring on Wednesday 9/20/23!
Ticket link in bio for the dinner. Menu will be posted in Stories!

Let’s continue to celebrate World Sake Day together, Kanpai! 🤘🖤🍶🌾

08/16/2023

Update

Hello all you sake fans. I wanted to post an update for all of the people that want to know what’s going on with the team behind Setting Sun Sake and when we are planning to make a come back.
While we closed the brewery and tasting room in January of this year due to covid-era complications, Kim and I have been busy with closing out business affairs and focusing on recovery, both personally and professionally. In the meantime, Kim has accepted a job as the GM/Sake Sommelier at Matsu in Oceanside CA, to continue her efforts of sake education and sharing her love of sake with the world. I have accepted the Master Brewer roll at Mùa Craft Sake, Vietnam’s first craft sake brewery, and will continue my pursuits to push sake into the global attention using local ingredients, Japanese techniques and my own special twist of passion. Thank you for the years of support, and remember…
NO SAKE NO LOVE

Please continue to follow us here on social media for future updates on our return. follow Matsu 松 & Mùa Craft Sake for updates on our current projects.

12/29/2022

Come in, let’s celebrate and reminisce of all the crazy-good-great-fun-wild times we’ve had here at Setting Sun Sake.

🤘🖤🍶🌾

Join us in our final days at our OG location. We don’t have much storage space, so please come help us sell through some SSS and merch, glassware, limited bottles, and any other miscellaneous items we will have for sale.

These are literally our final days to sell some items. 🫠 Sorry, we will not have a full drink menu and we have very limited bottles to open to share. **Feel free to bring snacks or drinks to share. We’ll have some things to munch on.**

SPECIAL DEALS:
-Case & MERCH deals
-SSS Tap Handles (3D printed, limited stock)
-SSS Box Bundle (Box includes 1 of each item: tshirt, SSS tap handle, sticker, glassware, Treaty of Friendship bottle). LIMITED BUNDLE BOXES AVAILABLE.

All items are marked at a discounted price; not combinable with any other discounts, deals, or Ronin Club discounts.

🖤

12/15/2022

An announcement from Setting Sun Sake:

We received notification from our property management that we need to vacate our location by January 1st. Unfortunately this means our Miramar brewery & tasting room are temporarily closed until further notice.
We will work to get some releases out if possible, however, Josh and I are still recovering from Covid. We have our website back up and running, with merchandise available to purchase. Again, please be patient as I try to update our website (I am not THAT tech-savvy). We will schedule pick up days for any online orders once we recover and retest negative of Covid.

Ronin Club Members - please await an email soon.

We thank you for your continued support and patience as we take time to readjust and look for a new space to relocate Setting Sun Sake.

With all of our love & madness,
Josh & Kim

12/10/2022

‘Tis the season, right?! 🫠 We’ve been closed due to some recent illnesses. Unfortunately our Koji Queen has tested positive for Covid. Josh is asymptomatic, but to be on the safe side, we will remain quarantined through this weekend. We will both test again to make sure we are Covid-free before we reopen.

Stay healthy and safe, sake friends. 🤘🖤🍶🌾

11/25/2022

We will be open tomorrow for from 1-7pm.

New & vintage merch will be on sale and select bottle deals.
Cheers/Kanpai! 🤘🖤🌾🍶