Awa Sparkling Sake

Description

Meaning foam or bubbles in Japanese, AWA is the first and currently the only product of Cambridgeshire-based The Sparkling Sake Brewery, which was only set up in 2021 and released its first sake in summer 2021. It’s a batch-brewed sake meaning that each batch is slightly different. The sake is brewed as junmai, pasteurised and then uses the secondary fermentation in a bottle or champagne method to add bubbles.

When you first open a bottle, be careful. AWA could be a bit too energetic and escape the bottle happy to be free. As you pour it into your glass you can see that the sake is slightly cloudy with some rice particles remaining from the fermentation process and has a warm yellow tint. The aroma is fresh and delicate with notes of grapefruit, yoghurt, and a bit of rice. AWA is gently effervescent, crisp and dry with a mild citrusy flavour, a bit of honey, and a quick bitter finish. The bitterness in the finish actually gives your palate a pleasant kick. AWA’s ABV is 12% which is usual for sparkling sake. Mind, that the bubbliness of the sake depends on the batch so yours could be a bit more effervescent than mine.

Serve AWA chilled and in a champagne glass. It’s great on its own or with light dishes like salad, grilled white fish or veggies, cheese or sushi. The bottle is small, only 375ml, so you will probably finish it in one sitting. If you re-storage it, you will probably lose all the bubbles.

If you are interested in the story about how The Sparkling Sake Brewery came into existence, listen to Episode 28 of Sugidama Podcast where I am talking to Naoki and Tracey about the brewery and their sake.