Sake Manzo Teach Us Everything About Rice Wine at This Year's Sake Carnival

Like us, are you curious about what goes into a good bottle of sake? All of the bottles are riddled with beautiful Kanji (what we know as Hanzi), Hiragana, and Katakana, making it difficult at times to learn more about this adored Japanese rice wine. Well, the folks behind Sake Manzo, the home of some of Beijing's best Japanese eats and drinks, have organized a special sake-focused event at 21st Century Hotel on July 9, giving us all the opportunity to learn more about this elusive wine.

IWC (International Wine Challenge) Sake Judge and Sake Master, Taka Yamamoto is the man behind this 2016 Sake Carnival. This year, Taka has invited over 10 famous sake makers to the event, along with over 100 kinds of fine sake from Japan, which will all be available on site for your tasting pleasure. For those in the know, some of the top specimens will include Dai Ginjo, Born Wing, Shotoku Enju Sen’nen, Dassai 23, and Saika Magoich.

As a little extra incentive, especially for world music lovers, there will be a Wadaiko performance – those wild Japanese percussion groups with the giant drums you may have seen in karate films. Also, the day wouldn’t be complete without an introductory sake class given by the master himself, Taka Yamamoto. It goes without saying that he’s particularly knowledgeable on the subject, and you know the Japanese don’t just throw that title of master around like ribbons at a middle school science fair. It takes years of study and plenty of alcohol-induced headaches, we’re sure, to achieve this status.

To get your ticket (worth RMB 500), all you need to do is drop by one of the two Sake Manzo locations before June 30 and order a bottle of sake, which is also your ticket into this spectacular event, one that you can enjoy at your leisure any time you need a top-up. How often does a ticket pay for itself? For more info check out the event listing.

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Email: danielkippwhittaker@thebeijinger.com

photos: the Beijinger