Do you want to take your Japanese sake and shochu knowledge to the next level? Sake Scholar is an in-depth course focused on all aspects of sake regionality and includes full three days of class, curated tastings, and the opportunity to meet and network with like-minded individuals within the sake community. The Sake Scholar Course covers all 47 prefectures that comprise Japan and explores their sake & shochu history, geography, ingredients, and production techniques. Your instructors Michael and Sarah will share their personal extensive experience of sake and shochu in Japan during the course and help make the material come alive. There will be a daily sake & shochu tasting component during the course to support and explore the presence (or absence) of regionality at the macroscopic and microscopic levels that can exist within the realm of Japanese sake. The core body of knowledge covered in this groundbreaking course is crucial to understanding Japan’s key sake brewing and shochu distilling regions. Students will also become familiar with the key sake breweries and shochu distilleries in each prefecture. This course will ultimately complement your sake knowledge and enhance your ability to sell, purchase or simply enjoy sake more deeply.

This is an intermediate to advanced program of study, and students are assessed with a 100-question multiple choice exam held online approximately one month after the in-person course. As such, a thorough understanding of sake is required; we recommend students have taken at least the WSET Level 2 Award in Sake (or equivalent) prior to enrolling, but if you have questions about prerequisites please don’t hesitate to contact us for further guidance.

About the Instructors and School:

Michael Tremblay is the founder of Sake Scholar. He is a Sake Samurai, a Panel Chair for the International Wine Challenge Sake Competition, co-author of the book ‘Japanese Craft Sake’, a WSET Certified Sake Educator, and the head sake sommelier and buyer at Canada’s largest Japanese restaurant, Kii. You can find him @mtrsake on Instagram.

Sarah Stewart is a WSET Certified Sake Educator and teaches sake, wine and cheese courses at West London Wine School, alongside serving as the Membership & Events Officer for the British Sake Association and judging sake for the International Wine Challenge. You can find her @sakestudies on Instagram.

West London Wine School is a local, independent and award-winning wine and sake school founded in 2010 and based in the heart of west London. Our courses focus on enjoying beverages whilst learning more in a relaxed and informal setting with friendly people and industry-leading educators. In 2023 we won the IWC Best Consumer Educator Award, and in 2018 we received the prestigious WSET Educator of the Year Award for the top wine education provider globally. We have an average review score of 5 stars on Trip Advisor.