‘IT IS THE MAN WHO DRINKS THE FIRST BOTTLE OF SAKE; THEN THE SECOND BOTTLE DRINKS THE FIRST, AND FINALLY IT IS THE SAKE THAT DRINKS THE MAN…’ JAPANESE PROVERB

There are many ways to make sake, however a balance of fragrance and taste requires experience, attention, a huge amount of teamwork and of course a supply of the best ingredients. Unlike wine, where alcohol is produced by fermenting sugar that is naturally present in grapes, sake is produced by a brewing process, very similar to the production of beer, where starch is converted into sugars, before being converted into alcohol.

Thirty minutes by car from Iwakuni, deep in the mountains of Yamaguchi Prefecture, is the home of Dassai. This is a premium sake, and one that uses rice of particularly high quality, named Yamada Nishik. The grains are milled away to leave the ‘heart’, where the starchy part of the rice is concentrated. This makes an excellent junmai daiginjo sake, with a clean, crisp flavour and mild acidity.

We welcome Hiroko Nishitani, a certified sake sommelier and Anri Schroff, Dassai’s European PR and Marketing Director on 20th April, to host a Masterclass dinner showcasing this refined and historical expression.

We will enjoy: 

Dassai 50 on arrival

Crab & samphire salad, watermelon, grean chilli & mint
Dassai 23
Dassai Beyond

Pan-fried fillet of sea bream, roasted artichoke, sauce Vierge
Dassai 39
Dassai 50

Dessert Pavlova, passionfruit cream & mango
Dassai 50