Five years ago, walking into a restaurant in India and mentioning “sake” often elicited puzzled looks. In 2019, sake was a foreign concept to most hospitality professionals. At best, it appeared on the wine menu in Japanese restaurants – usually tucked away at the bottom, rarely explained, and barely recommended by the staff.As someone deeply engaged in winemaking and fermentation innovation, I’ve seen first-hand how mead allows creativity to flourish – from dry, robust styles to low-alcohol, fruit-forward alcopops – all using a single core ingredient: honey.
At worst, it wasn’t offered at all. India’s beverage landscape was then dominated by whiskey, gin and, increasingly, New World wines. Sake, with its unfamiliar taste profile and serving rituals, was seen as niche, if not irrelevant.
Even in upscale Japanese or pan-Asian establishments, sake was often just another SKU, added for the sake of authenticity. Few staff knew how to describe it, fewer still how to serve it. In a market as dynamic and rapidly evolving as India’s, the gap felt wide and the potential largely untapped.
Today, the landscape has shifted. According to a 2024 feature in Harper’s Bazaar India, the number of pan-Asian restaurants in India has grown dramatically in the past 5 years, with over 750 such outlets operating nationwide. With this rise has come a cultural shift in the way Indian diners engage with East Asian cuisines.
RISING TIDES
Global attention toward Japanese food, sparked by Unesco’s 2013 recognition of Washoku, followed in 2024 by the listing of traditional sake brewing with Koji mold, has reinforced sake’s cultural significance.
Health-conscious urban consumers in India are now embracing fermented foods and other options rich in amino acids, such as umami, making sake an appealing addition to the dining experience.
Like the trajectories seen in the US and China, where Japanese restaurant growth directly increased sake consumption, India is now following suit. Sake listings have gradually expanded across fine-dining venues, hotels and progressive bars.
Over the past 5 years, I’ve been involved in this journey first hand, conducting sake dinners in hotels, training bar managers and sommeliers, and presenting masterclasses at Vinexpo and ProWine. Early reactions often included scepticism or confusion, but those faded quickly once people tasted and understood sake.
Paired with sushi, dim sum, or even Indian dishes, sake opened conversations. Questions flowed: Why is it chilled? What is Koji? Can it pair with vegetarian food? These experiences highlighted how education transforms perception. Once sake is demystified, its versatility becomes clear.
TIMELESS CRAFT
Sake is not a recent invention, nor is it simply another fermented beverage. Its brewing process, centered around the use of Koji mold, dates back over 1,000 years. Techniques such as hi-ire (heat pasteurisation) were already being applied in Japan over 300 years before Louis Pasteur’s name became synonymous with the concept.
Cold-weather brewing (kan-zukuri), the careful addition of high-strength distilled alcohol, and three stages fermentation process (Sandanjikomi) are among the deeply rooted innovations that distinguish sake as a product of both art and science.
Today, sake is not just trending, it’s becoming a benchmark in global beverage service. It’s poured in Michelin-starred restaurants and recognized in awards like the IWC (UK), Kura Master (France), Milano Sake Challenge (Italy) and Oriental Sake Awards (Hong Kong).
For beverage professionals, sake knowledge is increasingly essential. The ASI Best Sommelier of the World competition and France’s Meilleur Sommelier now test on sake theory and service. It’s part of a global sommelier’s core toolkit.
SAKE EDUCATION
In India, where the hospitality industry is striving for global recognition, knowing sake is no longer optional. It signals cultural fluency and elevates professional standing. Those who adopt it now will lead the next wave of beverage innovation.
With the Unesco recognition of Koji brewing, sake has re-entered the global spotlight. But this time, its application is broader – it pairs with Italian, French and Indian cuisines alike.
Sake is no longer “Japan’s local brew”. It is a global beverage with international relevance. Increasingly, it is becoming a shared language among sommeliers, F&B directors, and beverage professionals. The question for India’s industry is no longer if sake will matter, but when.
Professionals who embrace sake literacy today are preparing for tomorrow. It’s not just a drink; it’s a global language. In India, that language is just beginning to be spoken. Will you be fluent?
