If you have noticed Japanese sake gaining more popular in the past year, you are not alone. One explanation as to why the 2,500 year-old beverage – made from rice, water, koji (rice mould) and yeast – is gaining prominence might be the fact that Japanese sake labels and breweries are marketing the rice wine abroad more aggressively these days.
“This is mainly due to the fact that Japanese domestic consumption of sake is at an all time low – and drops year on year, ” says Oh Reuben Luke, the managing partner and director of The Kabuki Works, who is also the Sake Sommelier Association’s (SSA) Young Sake Ambassador for 2021/2022. The Kabuki Works is Oh’s passion project that connects the world to Japan through sake, from limited releases of never-before-exported bottles from Japan, to linking breweries with buyers across the world, and propagating the need for better marketing and storytelling for sake. Meanwhile, the SSA is the first and only UK-based organisation committed to sake education and promotion globally.
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The increasing appeal for the booze can also be linked to how it is easy on the palate and pairs well with food beyond Japanese cuisine. “Some sake bars are offering masterclasses which give an insight on sake and its ability to pair not just with Japanese cuisine, but also other cuisines such as Chinese, Italian, French, North Indian and even Peranakan cuisine,” says Joshua Kalinan, a certified sake and wine sommelier and beverage consultant who also runs classes on sake appreciation.
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One such business “recognising the potential for sake” is F&B group Iki Concept, which opened the Nomi Dining Bar by Nozomi in Forum The Shopping Mall late last year. According to its director Russell Yu, the joint is partnering with restaurants outside the sphere of Japanese cuisine, including Eight Gems Caviar & Gastronomy recently, “to show the breadth of sake and how it can be enjoyed with multiple cuisines”.
If you’re in the mood for sake, we’ve curated a list of some of our favourite watering holes you can check out below.