Sake is hot right now--is there a difference in how men and women enjoy it?

"Sake is what Ojisan drinks." When did you have such a strong image? In recent years, the number of people who actively enjoy sake is increasing. If you look at the tasting party and sake event, there are many women (and young!).

The author, who loves sake, who admits himself and others, has infiltrated two events held in the spring and touched on the power of women who are rushing to empty their babies.


◆ Women who enjoy "taste"

"Goshu Festa for WOMEN" was held in Ginza, Tokyo in May. The first part is for women only, and the second part is for women and accompanying men. Probably the first large-scale women-only sake event. However, a total of 1,000 tickets were sold out in three weeks, and eventually 600 people were waiting for cancellation.

Of course, only women came in at the same time as the opening of Part 1. At the booths exhibited by all 30 warehouses, a line was formed in a blink of an eye. The inside of the venue looks like a "women's association".


Now, how do they enjoy sake? When looking at it, many people drink the alcoholic beverages lined up in order from the end. And what I'm asking the staff is "difference in taste" rather than the manufacturing method. At the same time, there was a lot of excitement about what kind of food to combine with. Based on what the staff said, arrangement methods and ideas pop out one after another from the women's mouths.

A staff member of a sake brewery said, "We recommend our sake as an in-meal sake (a sake that you can enjoy with your meal). We are offering something that suits you. " It's okay to choose something like "I want to drink Daiginjo" or "I like dry food", but I felt that both the exhibitors and the participants showed that they could enjoy it without any knowledge.

At the end of the event, more and more people are drinking their favorite brands intensively. The beautiful duo, who said, "I drank everything, but this was the most delicious. It's the 4th time!", Dashingly walked toward the next "favorite". What a strong thing behind that.



page Fashionable bottles catch the hearts of women
◆ Drinking comparison is fun!

Many women also visited the "Pia Sake Festival 2015 Sake Spring Festival" held in Shibuya in March. It is impressive that I saw many young people who seemed to be in their twenties. Thirty breweries from all over the country also exhibited here, and a line was immediately formed in each brewery.


At this event, "unusual" sake was also exhibited.

At the booth of Sekizen (Nagano Prefecture), sake using "flower yeast" was lined up. As the name suggests, flower yeast is yeast isolated from flowers. On this day, sunflower, begonia, and vine rose flower yeast were exhibited. Among them, tasting "Sekizen Junmai Ginjo Aiyama Namahara Sake" using sunflower flower yeast. When I put it in my mouth, I felt a faint honey-like sweetness. The aftertaste is refreshing and easy to drink. I think the repeat rate of women was high.

At the booth of the old pine tree (Nagano Prefecture), women were interested in sake in colorful and fashionable bottles. Named "Franbo Wazu," "Kashi Sake Guri," and "Kuro no Kihime," they are sake-based liqueurs. By the way, it seems that the fruit liquor type attracted a lot of attention, as the product sales "Sudachi Sake" was sold out early at the Ginza event. It will be familiar to people who are not familiar with sake.


When I asked a 22-year-old woman who said that it was her first time to have a sake event, she said "Chiyomusubi" (Tottori Prefecture). "I was surprised to see that they had 40, 50, and 60 drinks and compared, and each had a completely different taste." The number is the rice polishing rate (polishing condition /%) of sake rice. The smaller the number, the better the scraping, 40 is Daiginjo and 50 is Ginjo. Well, it seems that it was fun to be able to listen to the story while actually comparing the tastes, rather than just arranging such knowledge.

I talked to other visitors, but many of them, like her, said it was their first time to have a sake event. However, I don't usually like sake. Did you come here like a popular food festival in the streets? Then, when I actually drank it, I felt the difference and realized that "sake is delicious" and "there are some that taste like this". To be honest, I don't have many chances to "reunite" with the brands I drank at events at liquor stores and restaurants, but as a sake fan, I hope that the appeal of sake will spread as much as possible.

page Is there a difference in taste between men and women?

In general, as sake that women like and sake for women, sweet, easy-to-drink, and fashionable bottles are often mentioned. Sparkling sake, which has been gaining popularity recently, is also popular among women. It is said that the slightly sweet nigori liquor has a good reputation. Certainly, sparkling and turbidity are very popular, and they also have a good bite to fruit wine. However, at first, I drank only these, but as I drank and compared them, some people said that I became addicted to the so-called "male favorite liquor". A woman in her thirties said, "I like dry sake now." According to the exhibitors at Goshu Festa, the brands brought to women were unexpectedly unsuccessful, and the brands that men thought were better were more popular. "I was surprised," the person in charge laughs.

It's a mediocre expression, but after all, each person has his or her own taste. However, it can be said that "easy-to-drink" sake has lowered the threshold of sake, and booming events have increased opportunities to come into contact with sake. The soil for "enjoying" sake may be getting ready.

Both of the two events we visited this time are scheduled to be held in the fall. Autumn feasts "Hiyagoshi" and "Akiagari" seem to be the highlights. Many other events are planned. An all-you-can-drink shop where you can compare sake is also popular. Above all, it's best to enjoy drinking alcohol. Be careful not to drink too much "softening water" (in short, chaser) with sake. With self-discipline.