Upcoming edition of Singapore’s largest independent sake festival, Sake Matsuri Singapore, will be the biggest ever in its five-year history.
Singapore sake enthusiasts will rejoice at this news. Not only will Sake Matsuri Singapore return for a 2023 encore edition this November – there was an earlier spring session in April this year – it will be the sake festival’s largest in its five-year history.
First launched in 2018 to raise the awareness and appreciation for sake from craft producers across Japan, Sake Matsuri Singapore has grown over the years to encompass different aspects of sake appreciation in its festival format. Aside from showcasing a wide range of artisanal sakes and sake styles that are not as easily found as their more commercial counterparts, the fiesta also features various masterclasses, sake pairing dinners, and – in one edition – even an awards competition.
The upcoming Sake Matsuri Singapore this November will be even bigger and better. In fact, it’s going to be the largest sake festival Singapore has ever seen. Running from 3 to 5 November, the festival combines two of its most successful concepts into a three-day affair at Outdoor Plaza @ Paya Lebar Quarter. The first day, 3 November, will feature a Sake Social-style pop-up sake bar , the BIG $5 Sake Bar, offering exclusive and rare sakes by the pour, along with various masterclasses for sake aficionados to learn more about their favourite beverage.
The other two days, 4 and 5 November, follow its ever-popular free flow sake format. There will be three free-flow sessions per day – running from 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm, and 6pm to 9pm – for a total of six sessions, making it the biggest Sake Matsuri Singapore, ever.
Together, the three-day weekend event will showcase more than 200 labels of sake represented by both Japanese breweries and local distributors over three days. These will include 52 sake debuting in Singapore, as well as award-winning sake and seasonal releases.
“We’re upping the ante by expanding the festival calendar this year. While sake enthusiasts continue to enjoy our free-flow sessions, our new pop-up sake bar on Day 1 offers exclusive pours that festival-goers won’t find in other sessions as well as intimate masterclasses by sake masters,” said Kevin Ngan, founder of Sake Matsuri Singapore.
Among the many special sakes that will be poured during the free-flow sessions include the Kanadel Junmai Daiginjo from Obata Shuzo, a light and slightly sparkling sake that’s secondary fermented in the bottle, or Ichinoya’s exquisite Shinsei Junmai Ginjo from Shinano Omachi, the latest region in Japan to obtain Geographical Indication (GI) status. Then there’s Fumimoto Brewery’s Shimanto Junmai Daiginjo, made from the exquisite water of the breathtaking Shimanto river and 100% Niida rice that’s native to the region.
BIG $5 Sake Bar on 3 November is free entry; sake coupons are available on site for $50 per Sake Passport and S$25 per booklet. Early bird tickets for the free-flow sessions are on sale until 3 October, priced at S$45 per person or S$200 for a bundle of 5 tickets. Thereafter, tickets will be available at S$55 per person or S$250 for a group of five.
For more information and ticketing details on Sake Matsuri Singapore, visit www.sakematsuri.sg.
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