Sake Matsuri 2024: Popular free-flow sake festival returns bigger than ever in May
Sake lovers will probably be excited for this: Singapore’s Sake Matsuri (translated to sake festival in Japanese) is returning in 2024 for its eighth edition!
Known for its extensive curation of premium Japanese sakes, the iconic sake festival is a yearly affair where sake aficionados — or anyone curious about sake — can indulge in a three-hour free-flow deluge of sakes.
If you’re curious about the difference between a “daiginjo” or a “junmai daiginjo”, Sake Matsuri is the perfect chance to taste the differences yourself.
2024’s Sake Matsuri will be held at F1 Pit Building from May 10 to May 12 and feature more than 250 sakes and Japanese spirits.
The price? S$55 per person or S$250 for a group of five. Hey, that’s even more affordable than some free-flow liquid buffets, with much more limited selections.
The ticket entails you to three hours of free-flow samples, a Sake Matsuri Riedel crystal glass and — if you found something you love — a chance to purchase the sakes at exclusive festival prices.
Do note that the free-flow sessions will only run from 11am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm on May 11 and 12 — so, a total of four free-flow sessions.
No samples will be given outside of these four designated three-hour blocks.
Only F&B professionals or relevant industry members will be permitted entry on May 10 and pre-registration is required.
Earthquake aid
What makes this year’s Sake Matsuri event even more meaningful is a curation of three pre-event sake and food pairing sessions, with proceeds funnelled towards a good cause.
More specifically, aid for Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture, which was hit by the 7.6-magnitude Noto earthquake earlier in January.
Priced between S$88 and S$128 per person, these three sessions will be led by three of the region’s leading sake sommeliers:
- Apr 21: Hosted by Reuben Oh, director of The Kabuki Works at Fatt Choy Eating House
- Apr 28: Hosted by Adrian Goh, director of Inter Rice Asia at The Dempsey Project
- TBA (1st week of May): Hosted by Elliot Faber, co-founder of The Sake Company. Venue to be confirmed.
The Sake Matsuri selection
So what kind of sake can you expect to enjoy at the Sake Matsuri event, free-flow? With over 250 boozy options available, most of us will be spoilt for choice.
If you’re feeling the love for the Ishikawa prefecture, then one good option would be a bottle of the slightly umami and floral Noto Sakura + Tengumai junmai ginjo.
It’s made by the chief brewer of Sakurada Sake Brewery — which was destroyed in the earthquake — in collaboration with Shata Shuzo, another brewery that fortuitously survived the quake.
Above all, proceeds from the sale of the sake will go towards the reconstruction of the brewery!
Besides that, there are also other unique highlights.
For example, there are the sakes from Hinemos, which are sorted by time of the day, such as the new rokuji (Japanese for six o’clock), and the Shimanto kiri no sato nama genshu, which is interestingly packaged in plastic packet.
But our personal favourite from the sneak preview had to be the Ohkura Limone mature unpasteurised, a wonderfully tangy and lemon-forward sake that was oh-so-easy to down.
Another big part of this year’s Sake Matsuri is a new event sponsor: AirJapan, a budget airline owned by All Nippon Airways.
In commemoration of its upcoming Singapore-Japan direct flight launch, AirJapan is giving away four flight vouchers worth S$400 each.
Attendees will just have to sign up for a contest at AirJapan’s booth and one winner will be selected per free-flow session.
This was a hosted tasting.
For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the newest openings to check out for your next food adventure and our experience at the Kampong Gelam Ramadan bazaar.
Do explore the new GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.
You can also book a ride to the F1 Pit Building for Sake Matsuri 2024.
Evan Mua
Author
Evan started off writing about food on Instagram, before joining outlets such as Buro and Confirm Good to pursue his passion. His best work usually comes after his first whisky shot in the morning.
Read More
