Sake for Wine Lovers #5 — Summer Sake Tasting

Sake for Wine Lovers is an ongoing series for those who already love wine—and are ready to see sake through a new lens.

Each edition explores a different theme, focusing on style, producer, pairing, and more.

Edition 05 — Summer Sake Tasting

What makes a sake feel like summer?

As the season turns, Japanese breweries release lighter, brighter, more refreshing bottles—lower in alcohol, livelier in acidity, and often served well chilled or over ice. These are the sake made for warm evenings, terraces, and seafood on the table.

In this edition, we taste our way through the world of summer sake: from a crisp, seafood-friendly sparkling, to low-alcohol and lightly textured styles, to a citrus sake built for the sun—and we close by setting them beside a fresh Japanese white wine.

Summer Sake Lineup

🥂 Seafood Sparkling — Imada Shuzō A bright, sea-inspired sparkling sake made to lift oysters, shellfish, and everything from the water.

🌾 Fukuchō "Bon Time" Style:B — Imada Shuzō A gentle, low-alcohol (12%) junmai—easy and refreshing, yet still full of character.

🐟 Mutsu Hassen Isaribi Tokubetsu Junmai — Hachinohe Shuzō "Isaribi" means the fishing-boat lights at sea. Crisp and clean, a natural partner for summer food.

🍇 Senkin Nature — Senkin Barrel-fermented, minimally polished natural sake—the bottle that bridges straight into the world of natural wine.

🧊 Ice Breaker — Kinoshita Shuzō A junmai ginjō built to be poured over ice. Light, fruity, and made for a warm afternoon.

🍋 Yoigokochi Yuzu — Ōta Shuzō An intensely refreshing yuzu sake, over 25% real yuzu juice. Serve cool or over ice.

🍷 Koshu, Hishiyama Vineyard 2022 — Grace Wine A fresh Japanese white wine from Yamanashi, set alongside the sake for a side-by-side wine comparison.

Please note: the final sake lineup may change depending on bottle availability and tasting condition, but the structure and theme of the workshop will remain the same.

Your Evening Includes

🍶 A guided tasting focused on summer sake and refreshing styles 🧀 A pairing bite made with carefully selected ingredients (please note we are unable to offer vegetarian or vegan options—though Japanese food tends to be light and wholesome by nature) 📖 A wine-friendly explanation of summer sake, serving temperature, and structure 👥 Time to connect with fellow wine and sake lovers 🎟 15% discount on featured sake and ochoko

This session focuses on tasting, comparison, and discovery—rather than formal theory alone.

No prior sake knowledge is required—just curiosity and an open palate. Seats are intentionally limited to keep the experience interactive and personal.

Please let us know in advance about any dietary restrictions or allergies.

🍇🍚 Grape & Rice — Kazumi

WSET Certified Sake Educator | WSET Level 4 in Wines | WSET Sake Level 3 | French Wine Scholar | JSA Sake Diploma

Helping wine lovers bring sake to their table — beside wine, not instead of it.

Instagram: @kazumi.sake.wine