Sake: Culture, Tasting, and Food Pairings
3 Fridays: July 10, 24, and August 7 at 7 pm
Sake expert David Sakamoto will present a three-class online program on the intricacies of Japan’s national drink. He will share his knowledge gained as a certified Advanced Sake Professional by the Sake Education Council in Tokyo and from a Level 3 Award in Sake from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (London). David has visited over 30 sake breweries and has interned at Daimon Shuzo in Osaka and Obata Shuzo’s Gakkogura in Niigata.
The classes will introduce sake through its history, grades and styles, and serving traditions; provide a virtual trip through Japan’s major sake-brewing regions and their food cultures; and offer an exploration of taste profiles and the subtle nuances sake brings to food pairing in collaboration with J-Sei Chef Yuji Ishikata.
Each class will cover a different aspect of sake:
July 10 – Sake 101: What is sake, its history, and current trends; different grades and styles; proper storage and serving suggestions.
July 24 – Regionality of Sake: Japan’s major sake-brewing prefectures; terroir in the sake world; the impact of local ingredients, geography, Toji Guilds, and food culture.
August 7 – Pairing Sake with Food: The five major taste profiles; similarities and differences between sake and wine pairing; sake’s nuances and how they complement dishes beyond sashimi, sushi, and other Japanese foods, with J-Sei Chef Yuji Ishikata.
The lecture is free, but RSVP on Eventbrite is required to receive the link for the online classes.
A sake-tasting kit, featuring a flight of five 3 oz. samples will be available for $30 donation. David will lead a tasting tutorial and discussion during each class. For the final class on August 7th, sake tasting + food pairing menu prepared by Yuji Ishikata will be available for $55 ($30 sake kit + $25 food pairing). Sake and food pairing kits can be ordered below. We have closed sales of sake +food pairing for August 7th.
Reserve your Fridays to gather online for this special J-Sei summertime experience. Kanpai!