Tokyo Weekender July 2016

TRENDS
THE SAKE
AWARDS
Words by Alec Jordan
Last month we stopped by Sake Competition 2017 to find out
which are the top tipples to taste this year
For a beverage with such a long
history (nearly 2000 years!),
sake’s ingredients are as simple
as can be: rice, water, a special
type of mold known as kōji,
yeast, and in some cases, distilled alcohol. But
from these basic materials, a countless variety
of different sakes have been brought to life,
generations of brewing families have passed
down secret recipes over the years, and a long
and flavorful history continues to develop.
It was with this spirit at heart that Japan’s
Sake Competition was begun. Drawing sake
brewers from around Japan and beyond, the
2017 awards, held in early June, saw a panel
of beverage connoisseurs – including none
other than Hidetoshi Nakata – appraising
more than 1700 sakes produced by 453 different
sake brewers. There were eight awards
categories, and we’re sharing the top three
sakes in each – whether you’re new to nihonshu
or you’re a long-time fan of the tipple,
you’ll want to add these to your shopping list.
More info at www.sakecompetition.com
20 | JULY 2017 | TOKYO WEEKENDER