IWC Award Winning Sake Seminar & Tasting
8th July 2016 Embassy of Japan
Following the excitement of the awards dinner, the proud champion and shortlisted trophy sake makers gathered at the embassy of Japan to showcase a selection of premium sake to trade, media and friends of Sake Samurai. The afternoon began with a seminar section, followed by brief presentations from nine of the award winning sake makers. Each sake maker passionately and charmingly introduced their sake brewery and philosophy, as well as the story of the winning sake itself.
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Following the excitement of the awards dinner, the proud champion and shortlisted trophy sake makers gathered at the embassy of Japan to showcase a selection of premium sake to trade, media and friends of Sake Samurai. The afternoon began with a seminar section, followed by brief presentations from nine of the award winning sake makers. Each sake maker passionately and charmingly introduced their sake brewery and philosophy, as well as the story of the winning sake itself.
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IWC 2016 Champion Sake Announcement
7th July at IWC Awards Dinner
‘To protect sake culture and to promote sake internationally’ … in order to realise this mission, the Sake Samurai Association collaborated with the International Wine Challenge (IWC) ten years ago, and has since grown to become the world’s largest and most prestigious sake competition.
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‘To protect sake culture and to promote sake internationally’ … in order to realise this mission, the Sake Samurai Association collaborated with the International Wine Challenge (IWC) ten years ago, and has since grown to become the world’s largest and most prestigious sake competition.
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Sake Academy at Oxford University – Educating Future Global Leaders
It goes without saying that future global leaders require a world class education. At Oxford, the cradle of many of the world’s visionaries past and present, this “world class education” evolved in 2014 to include Sake 101, with the launch of the Sake Academy initiative. Led by Sake Expert Rie Yoshitake, Sake Academy aimed to introduce Japan’s national beverage to bright young minds at university campuses across the world. The Oxford chapter was launched at the St John’s College Triennial May Ball, in true Oxford style.
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Japan Day at Cambridge University
Cambridge Japan Day was started in 2015 by a team of Japanese MBA students studying at Judge Business School, with the purpose of promoting Japanese culture ("Cool Japan") to students from all over the world. With the support of Sake Samurai UK and Tazaki Foods UK, they were able to host their second Japan Day this year with great success.
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Great hospitality of Hyogo prefecture during IWC 2016 Sake judging
The 2016 International Wine Challenge (IWC) sake competition in Hyogo was a great success thanks to the Hyogo prefecture’s gracious hospitality. They made our stay so special and all of our judges, Sake Samurai and IWC staff had an unforgettable time there.
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IWC 2016 Sake judging and award announcement in Hyogo
The 2016 International Wine Challenge sake competition celebrates its 10-year collaboration between the Sake Samurai Association and the IWC. This robust and fruitful relationship has supported the global expansion of sake, by both boosting international awareness and exports, as well as increasing the popularity of sake within Japan itself.
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“Sake no Tomo”, Friend of Sake
For years, sake has been casting its spell far beyond the borders of its homeland. More and more, epicures from across Europe are expressing a curiousity to learn more about a drink they had always associated with hangovers. In an effort to nurture Europe’s developing sake market, the Sake Samurai Association (SSA) launched a Sake Roadshow initiative across the UK and mainland Europe, in order to educate and spread the passion for Nihonshu. On 13th April 2015, the IESE Business School in Barcelona in partnership with the Japanese Consulate, Sake Samurai UK, and Comerjapones.com hosted the Spanish chapter of the Sake event which Academy initiative.
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Fukushima: Sake Wonderland
As Fukushima Sake swept the board at the 2015 IWC Sake Championships, it became evident that something extraordinary was afoot. Just how was it possible for a single prefecture to produce such a variety of world class Sake? Rie Yoshitake, UK Sake Samurai Representative and Hitomi Kumasaka, Social Media Specialist, made a pilgrimage to the prefecture and visited four of the most prestigious breweries, Daishichi, Yamatogawa, Suehiro and Aizu Homare, to uncover the “Fukushima Formula” for trophy sake.
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Hyogo hosts IWC 10th anniversary sake tasting
The Sake Samurai Association (SSA), longstanding partner of the International Wine Challenge (IWC), is happy to announce that this year’s world-largest sake competition will be hosted in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture in May.
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Fukushima Meets Oxford
In conjunction with Oxford University’s Japan Society (OUJS), Yoshitake and Associates and the Sake Samurai Organisation hosted students and residents of Oxford for an evening of dance, music and commemoration, on 10th March, 2016.
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Gekkeikan Masters of Sake Competition 2016 – “Sake to Eat”
It’s dinnertime; you are enjoying the company of some close friends in your local haunt. Habitually, you reach for the wine list to scout out the perfect liquid companion to your evening meal. Shall you have white tonight, or will it be red? Or will you, like the growing numbers of culturally curious diners across the world opt for something else entirely?
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Scotland Meets Sake
Ceaseless in the search for new markets for sake, a team of brewers and Rie Yoshitake arrived in the very heart of Scotland this November 2015. At an event organised by the Consulate General of Japan in Edinburg, the University of Edinburg and Yoshitake & Associates, our trailblazing team met with sake lovers and distributors alike.
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Celebrating with Sake at the Guild of Freemen, City of London
After making its grand debut at the Houses of Parliament two years ago, sake made a spectacular second appearance in the City of London, at the honourable members of the Guild of Freemen.
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Fukuoka Evening
Amid the excitement of this year’s Rugby World Cup celebrations in the UK, festivities of a different kind were also taking place. In a bid to showcase Fukuoka prefecture’s regional charm and delights abroad, Governor Hiroshi Ogawa hosted an evening of warm and vibrant hospitality at the Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane.
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Presenting Japan
A seven-day extravaganza of lively art, Japanese cuisine and sake was held at the Japan Pavilion at the Queen Elisabeth II Centre, timed carefully to coincide with the most climactic week of the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
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European Sake Summit at the Salon du Sake in Paris
The Salon du Sake 2015, brainchild of Sylvain Huet (Sake Samurai and the founder of L’Academie du Sake), took place this October, building on the success of the first Salon in 2013. Over the course of two days, more than 40 sake artisans flew their flags under one roof at the Centre du Congress in Paris, attracting sake lovers from throughout Europe.
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Ken Ohashi, the First Master of Wine and Sake
The Sake Samurai Association and the International Wine Challenge (IWC) are very proud to announce that the IWC Co-chairman of Sake has been newly conferred with the title of Master of Wine (MW). The MW is the most acclaimed title in the wine world, issued by the Institute of Masters of Wines.
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Sake Samurai Inauguration 2015
The Sake Samurai Association has commemorated its 10th anniversary this year; with 7 individuals who have dedicated themselves in promoting the tradition and culture of Sake across the world, selected as Sake Samurai. The inauguration ceremony took place at the Shimogamo shrine in Kyoto on the 16th October.
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International Sake Day Celebrations
Japan is a nation that understands the art of celebration. Countless festivals, or 'Matsuri', are held throughout the year, featuring music, traditional garb and taiko drumming. With the rice harvest comes the start of the Sake brewing season. This day is now known as 'Nihonshu no hi', or International Sake Day.
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Tosa Sake Fair
On the 17th September, Kochi prefecture hosted a grand sake event at the Embassy of Japan, showcasing the best of Tosa sake and food culture to London’s trade and sake lovers. Nine sake makers out of Kochi’s 18 came to London to promote the region’s sake.
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The Oku Memorial Trophy 2015
In this memorable year of England hosting the Rugby World Cup 2015, the 11th Oku Memorial Rugby Tournament took place at Oxford University in memory of Ambassador Katsuhiko Oku. The ambassador was a passionate diplomat and devoted his energy to the reconstruction of Iraq, but was tragically killed while on tour in November 2003.
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IWC visits Fukushima governor and the champion sake
Two months after the memorable announcement of the IWC 2015 champion sake, Chris Ashton, the COO of IWC and Rie Yoshitake flew to Japan and visited Fukushima with IWC ambassador Toshie Hiraide. The IWC team received a heartfelt welcome from the Governor, Mr Masao Uchihori.
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International Sake Day 1st October
The 1st October is one of the most significant days in the Sake calendar, and indeed, the Japanese calendar. Otherwise known as Sake Day, or "Nihonshu no hi", it marks the first day of the sake-making season. The 1st October, in other words, is sake's 'New Year's Day'.
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Arts and Sake: START at Saatchi Gallery
Sake is a two thousand year old tradition, whilst the START Art Fair at Saatchi is two years old this year. Sake is an ancient art, whilst START is all about the contemporary. On Wednesday 9th September, the two were combined to present a new interpretation on the theme of ‘Sake: Tradition Meets Innovation’ at London’s renowned Saatchi Gallery to the global art community.
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