Casual Sake Tasting & Snack Pairing Experience in Kabukicho, Tokyo

Find your taste in an hour from Kabukicho

The event takes place on the second floor of Shinjuku Ale, located in the heart of Shinjuku's Kabukicho district. We begin with relatively easy-drinking sake. Typically, we warm up with sakes with a milder mouthfeel, typically in the 15-16% ABV range, before gradually moving on to styles with more pronounced aromas and fuller body. This makes it easy for even beginners to follow. We also provide checkpoints after each drink. By comparing the sakes based on criteria like where the aroma comes first, where the sweetness and acidity come from, and how clean the finish is, the differences between the sakes become much more apparent.
During the tasting, you can naturally refine your preferences. Once you get a feel for whether you prefer a clean palate or a more savory rice flavor, choosing sake on your next trip to Japan will be much more enjoyable.

 

Enhance the flavor with traditional Japanese appetizer pairings

Sake is great on its own, but it's even more fun when paired with food. This program allows you to compare how the same sake tastes differently while pairing it with traditional Japanese snacks.
For example, adding salty or umami flavors can make the sweetness of the sake more pronounced, or the aromas can feel more refined. Conversely, pairing it with a savory side dish can enhance the full body of the sake, making it fun to discover your own favorite pairings. Once you develop a sense for pairing sake with side dishes, it'll be easier to find the perfect pairing the next time you encounter sake.

 

A sweet finish with amazake, leaving you feeling good until the very end.

We finish with a smooth amazake. Made from rice malt, this sweet, fermented beverage is perfect for dessert, and it gently cleanses the palate. When comparing multiple sakes, the flavors can easily overlap, but amazake helps to smooth that out. Although the experience lasts an hour, the clean, lingering aftertaste leaves a very satisfying impression.