Japan’s national beverage, Sake, is now a popular drink in the UK

In 2019, when sommelier Erika Haig opened the UK’s very first independent sake bar in London’s West End, passers-by were confused by the drink advertised on the window and tried to order milkshakes.

Haigh has opened Mai Sake in order to offer tastings and meals. You can go on a London sake bar crawl and find the drink on the menus of many restaurants, including non-Japanese ones.

The international beverages market is gaining importance for the Japanese fermented-rice drink. It has an ABV of about 15%. Exports have increased almost every year over the last 13 years. In 2023, the market will be 1.8 times bigger than it was in 2019 with sales of Y=41.1bn.

The UK market for sake is growing. Sake is not only drunk in karaoke bars to show courage, but also sold by specialist shops and sophisticated bar. Waitrose reports that searches for sake have increased by 241% on their website year-on-year, and searches for plum sake are up 100% since 2023. Even Wagamama, one of the first national restaurants to serve the drink, has added sparkling sake to their list.

Berry Bros & Rudd is the UK’s oldest and largest wine merchant. They have started selling sake en primeur, a popular method among collectors. It allows them to purchase wine before it has been bottled, usually at a great price. This practice originated in Bordeaux, and is usually associated with French or Italian vintages. To see sake being sold this way in the UK indicates a major shift in perception.

Rob Whitehead is the spirits buyer for Berry Bros & Rudd. He said, “We have seen an increase in interest in our sake offerings and wanted to offer something new and exciting to our customers.” This is a unique wine that appeals to both experienced collectors who know that patience is the key to collecting and newcomers. The company sold twice as many sakes in the last year as it did in the three previous financial years. Whitehead stated that while loyal customers are investing more in sake and becoming more adventurous, they also see new buyers.

Haigh was born and raised in Japan. She is both Canadian and Japanese. But she only began to truly appreciate her native country after she left. She became a sommelier, and began to establish connections with traditional Japanese breweries. Haigh said that the growth of sake in Japan is largely due to the efforts of industry insiders over the last decade. However, there has been an increase in interest in Japanese cuisine and culture in the UK.

This is evident at all price points: Tesco will sell 21m packs of sushi as part of its meal deal by 2023. Upmarket omakase eateries, particularly in London, are also gaining in popularity. Omakase is a Japanese term that means “I will leave it up to you”. These restaurants specialize in set menus created by the chef. The UK Japanese food market is expected to grow from £797m (£797m) in 2017 up to £1.2bn (£1.2bn) in 2023.

Sake ticks many boxes, with its artisan food trend and natural ingredients. Haigh said that premium sake does not contain preservatives, sulphites or tannins. This appeals to the newfound consumer consciousness. The industry also supports small crafts producers and maintains a sake-making tradition that dates back over 2,000 year.

This year, Japan’s request for traditional sake brewing in Japan to be added to Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage is being reviewed.

UK seems to also be growing interested in other Asian drinks and spirits. Shochu, a Japanese spirit made of sweet potato, barley and rice is a popular cocktail ingredient in British bars. Baijiu is a powerful traditional Chinese spirit made from fermented Sorghum. It has been discovered by British drinkers.

Whitehead believes that sake’s growing popularity is due to the fact that it is “one of most food-friendly beverages out there”. Haigh’s events have featured a wide range of sake-paired dishes, from pizzas to Michelin-starred meals. She suggests that those who are curious about sake try it out with a meal.

Pair sake with familiar food to make the experience less intimidating. Replace the white wine with a fruity, fresh sake in a chilled white-wine glasses. Or replace Guinness as part of your steak dinner by a robust and savoury sake at room temperature.