Beverage Director
Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale
Beverage Service Professional
- Discipline
- Beverage Director
- Based in
- Brighton, Massachusetts, United States
i. Biography
Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale has owned The Koji Club in Brighton, Massachusetts, since 2022, and the work there puts sake at the center of her public practice. From Simmons College to the Boston dining world, then through a 2020 virtual sake pop-up carrying the same name, the throughline is fermentation, service, and the discipline of pouring a drink on purpose. The project now has a fixed address, but its focus stays on the basics: how sake is presented, how it is received, and how it fits a room.
Coming Up
Training at Simmons College gave Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale a starting point before she entered the Boston dining world as a staff member at O Ya in Boston, Massachusetts (2008–2022). That room demanded speed, precision, and consistency, the kind of service environment where beverage work has to hold its own against the pace of the floor. In 2020, she introduced a virtual sake pop-up under the name The Koji Club, and in 2022 she brought that name into a permanent form as owner / proprietor of The Koji Club (since 2022). The progression is straightforward: service, then concept, then ownership.
Where They Are Now
Since 2022, DiPasquale has been owner/proprietor of The Koji Club in Brighton, Massachusetts. The work is specific to sake, but the scope is wider than a single list: it is about framing the category, setting the tone, and making space for people to drink it with attention. At The Koji Club, her role puts her in charge of the decisions that shape the experience, from what appears in the glass to how the room holds the conversation around it.
Signature
Alyssa's signature cocktails include Fukucho “Seaside” Junmai Sparkling Sake, Kubota Anniversary Junmai Daiginjo, and Bushido “Way of the Warrior” Ginjo Genshu. The range moves across sparkling, polished, and more forceful expressions, which is part of the point: sake can carry different textures and registers without losing clarity. In DiPasquale’s public work, the task is not to overstate the drinks but to place them cleanly, so they read as approachable without losing their structure.
In Their Words “These sakes range in categories and styles, but they’re certifiably crushable by The Koji Club’s standards of drinking well and having fun.” The language is casual, but the method is plain: keep the drinks cold, keep the mood easy, and let the category do its own work. Nothing here asks for ceremony it doesn’t need.
Honors
Alyssa's honors include Best Beverage Director in Boston (2022), Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service semifinalist, 40 Under 40, and Imbibe 75. The recognition moves from a city-specific award to broader industry acknowledgment, which mirrors the shape of her career: a beverage-focused path that moved from service into ownership without losing its emphasis on precision.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Alyssa
Where did Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale train or study?
Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale trained at Simmons College.
What recognition has Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale received?
Best Beverage Director in Boston (2022).
