Who better to promote the self-contained Japanese sake industry than a dashing national hero?
Who better to promote the self-contained Japanese sake industry than a dashing national hero?
“JAPANESE SAKE BREWERS ARE VERY TRADITIONAL, VERY INWARD-LOOKING. I WANT TO CREATE A BRIDGE BETWEEN THEM AND THE WORLD.” HIDETOSHI NAKATA
Ask anyone to name a famous Asian footballer, and they’ll probably pipe up: “Nakata”. Ask them again what the numbers on a sake bottle denote, or to even name the label, and they’re likely to come up blank. That’s why Hidetoshi Nakata makes the perfect frontman to raise the profile of the relatively poorly understood sake. Better yet – he’s doing it himself. The 39-year-old has gone ahead and created his very own premium sake label, simply known as ‘N’ Sake, and has been hosting tasting sessions across the globe to demonstrate just how tasty and versatile high-quality sake can be. He’s also behind Sakenomy, an app that’s both a bottle-identifying software and a field manual of sake appreciation basics. Naturally, he’s putting up sake bars, too; he’s got one apiece in Hong Kong and London, and Singapore is on the cards. True to the vision of promoting sake abroad, the elegant ‘N’ bottles may be purchased only outside of Japan, with a hundred bottles made available for sale in Singapore.
FORTIFIED DRAM
Partial to robust and fruit-forward single malts? Mark the date March 2. Balvenie’s 21-year-old Madeira cask will make its international debut at Changi Airport. The blend is aged first in oak, then in casks used to produce the Portuguese fortified wine Madeira, and promises a spice-heavy finish. Visitors to the concourse can sample the travel-retail exclusive and make customised bottle tags.
GLASS OF CARIBBEAN
Bob’s Bar at Capella Singapore now houses a 130-litre sherry oak cask brimming with the bar’s very own blend of rum. Named Navegante (“navigator” in Spanish), the grog hails from Foursquare distillery in Barbados, under the watch of prolific master distiller Richard Seale. It’s best taken neat, where the underpinnings of vanilla, honey and raisin are allowed to play out. The 750ml bottles come with a $300 price tag.
