Inaugural sake exhibition at LWF

The Sake Pavilion will be curated by sake expert — or Sake Samurai — Natsuki Kikuya of the intangible Museum of Sake.

Brewers featuring at the event, which takes place 3–5 May, include Daishichi Brewery, Sekiya Brewery, five artisan sake producers from the Enter.Sake collection and several other well-established UK sake distributors.

Sake masterclass​

Kikuya will also host a masterclass at the fair entitled ‘Journey in the sake glass: is Japan’s mystic drink ready to take off in London?’

She said: “We have witnessed a significant interest in this category in the past two years. The WSET launched its level 3 sake qualification two years ago and other sake qualifications — SSA and SSI — also launched in the UK, ensuring more wine professionals, bartenders and sommeliers are taking sake seriously.”

Both traders and consumers have become more aware of the category over the past few years, she added. Sake’s high umami content and its pure and cleansing characteristics also make it a good drink to pair with various cuisines.