Nothing warms you up during chilly weather better than a hot drink, and sake has been warming the hearts of the Japanese people this way for hundreds of years. Learn the Japanese secrets of kanzake (warm sake) this winter at West London Wine School!

Premium sake can be enjoyed at a wide range of  temperatures, far broader than any other drink. While modern styles of premium sake are typically drunk chilled like a white wine, warming sake is the traditional way to enjoy it in Japan. Heating further enhances sake’s umami (the ‘fifth taste’), and this savoury deliciousness is sake’s secret weapon for amazing food pairings. It’s a common misconception that only lower quality sakes are warmed up, but this is far from the truth. Learn the real history of warm sake and prepare to have your mind and tastebuds blown by how delicious premium sakes can be at higher temperatures!

You will learn how to warm up and serve sake, what foods to pair it with, the ideal service temperatures, and how to pick out the best styles of sake to heat up. On the evening you will taste 5 different premium sake, each enjoyed at 2 different temperatures to allow guests to experience how much the flavours can change with warming. We’ll pair these sakes with a selection of artisanal cheeses and Japanese-influenced sweet & savoury nibbles.

 

About the Instructor and School:
Dr. Sarah Stewart is a WSET Certified Sake Educator and teaches sake, wine and cheese courses at West London Wine School, alongside serving on the British Sake Association’s organizing Committee. She is also one of only four instructors globally able to teach the advanced Sake Scholar qualification on sake regionality. She lived in Japan for two years and returns annually to continue her beverage studies there. You can find her @sakestudies on Instagram.

West London Wine School is a local, independent and award-winning wine, sake, beer and cheese education company founded in 2010 and based in the heart of West London. Our courses and tastings focus on enjoying beverages whilst learning more in a relaxed and informal setting with friendly people and industry-leading tutors. We’ve won both the prestigious WSET Educator of the Year Award for the top wine education provider globally and IWC Consumer Educator of the Year, and have an average review score of 5 stars on Trip Advisor and Google.

 

Admission: £50 per person