WORLD SAKE MONTH

World Sake Day falls on 1 October. We’ve decided one day simply isn’t enough.

In Japan, there’s a simple tradition: you never pour sake for yourself. You pour for the person next to you. And they pour for you. It’s a small gesture, but one that’s all about sharing and paying attention to the people around the table. Because sake isn’t only about what’s in the cup – it’s also about who you share it with.

We’re bringing that tradition to the table throughout October, with sake, sashimi and Japanese rituals made for sharing.

For World Sake Month, we’ve matched four of our sashimi dishes with sake selected to complement what’s on the plate.

• Shake Sashimi

  Kanpai Kaizen Junmai Ginjo

• Maguro Sashimi

  Dassai 45 Junmai Daiginjo

• Hiramasa Sashimi

  Dreamsake Daiginjo No. 1

• Sashimi Delux

  Akashi Tai Yuzushu on the rocks

Pick a pairing. Share a few. And pour for the person next to you – or let our waiters do it.

This October, our sake tray will be making its way around the restaurant. Choose the cup that catches your eye, add a sake to your meal and we’ll do the pouring. A small Japanese ritual that turns a drink into something shared.

Choose your cup. We’ll pour.

Kagami Biraki

You’ll also find miniature Kagami Biraki barrels in our restaurants throughout World Sake Month.

Kagami Biraki is a Japanese ceremony in which a sake barrel is opened in celebration before its contents are shared.

Another ritual. Another reason to come together.

Sake is a Japanese alcoholic drink brewed from rice, water, yeast and koji. Although it’s sometimes called “rice wine”, its production is quite different from wine and involves fermentation – creating an enormous range of styles, from light and aromatic to rich and full-bodied. 

Sake can be served chilled, at room temperature or warm, and is particularly good alongside food. Sushi and sashimi are natural companions, but there are plenty more combinations worth discovering.

New to sake? Ask us. We’re very happy to pour you in the right direction.

In Japan, 1 October is known as Nihonshu no Hi – Sake Day. The date has its roots in the traditional sake-making calendar: autumn brings the rice harvest and historically marked the beginning of a new brewing season. Today, sake lovers in Japan and around the world raise a cup on 1 October to celebrate the drink, its makers and the culture surrounding it. 

We like the idea. We just think one day is enough – so we celebrate all month.