Why Singapore’s sake drinkers are moving beyond familiar brands

Sake drinkers in Singapore are spending more and increasingly looking beyond familiar labels to explore what makes each bottle distinctive.

According to the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Singapore is a “high-value premium market,” as sake export volume to Singapore rose from 509 kilolitres in 2016 to 687 kilolitres in 2025. Average export value to Singapore climbed approximately 85 per cent, from 1,181 yen per litre to 2,190 yen per litre, about 60 per cent above the 2025 global average of 1,368 yen per litre. 

Behind these figures is a changing palate, shaped by a proliferation of Japanese restaurants here and frequent trips to Japan. Premium sake remains popular, but drinkers are becoming more curious about flavour, craftsmanship and how sake fits into a meal.

BEYOND THE FAMILIAR FAVOURITES IN JAPANESE RESTAURANTS 

Adrian Goh, director of sake distributor Inter Rice Asia, shared that most sake sold here falls within four premium grades: ginjo, junmai ginjo, daiginjo and junmai daiginjo. Ginjo and daiginjo sakes have a polishing ratio of around 60 per cent and 50 per cent respectively (where 40 per cent to 50 per cent of the rice grain is milled away). Junmais are sakes made with rice, water, koji and yeast, without added distilled alcohol.

At Hachi Restaurant, managing director Fabian Koh says that customers commonly ask for sakes that are “dry and sweet” followed by “light/rich”, “fruity” and “smooth”. Current bestsellers are Dassai and Momokawa from Yamaguchi and Aomori prefectures respectively. He added: “In terms of direct consumption, sake is growing in popularity. However, as an accompaniment to food, only in Japanese cuisine is sake consumed more than wine at the table.”

There is a growing shift from historically light, fruity profiles towards umami-rich and savoury ones, said Orihara Shoten sake sommelier Maria Satoh. “This aligns perfectly with the rise in demand for traditional brewing methods like yamahai and bodaimoto, which are specifically known for creating complex, umami-rich flavours rather than aromatic fruitiness. These sakes pair exceptionally well with the diverse food culture here, from satay and chilli crab to wagyu and cured meats.”

Loca Niru’s sommelier Vincent Kwong notes two preferences: classic, rice-forward flavours with melon, banana and umami notes versus what he terms a “new age” style, characterised by clean, elegant fruit and wine-like notes, as seen in the sakes from Akita prefecture’s Aramasa Brewery.

Diners are also less fixated on famous labels, high polishing ratios or immediately ordering the most premium bottles, said Ichigo Ichie’s executive chef Akane Eno. “Guests are increasingly comfortable in discovering something they may not already know, if the sake is delicious, approachable and works well with the food.”

Similarly, Janice Chi, co-owner and operations director of The Ishinomaki Group, which includes Ishinomaki Grill & Sake and Setsuri Ishinomaki, sees more diners asking about "the craftsmanship, quality and individuality behind each sake, rather than simply choosing based on brand recognition.” They are also more open to warm sake, which used to be mistaken for an inferior product. 

A PLACE BEYOND JAPANESE FOOD

Drinkers are finding more ways to enjoy sake with food.

At zi char restaurant Keng Eng Kee, founder Paul Liew says customers bring sake along with champagne and wine and are “very specific about which dishes to serve with the sakes, reserving exclusive labels for the start of the meal and serving the mainstream ones later.” 

Casual Asian eatery Fatt Choy Eating House’s Kevin Ngan shared that his diners often pair its top-selling Iberico Pork Rib Bak Kut Teh with a clean, fragrant draught Junmai Daiginjo from Singapore’s Orchid Sake Brewery. He also sees a growing demand for “wine-like and high-acid profiles” alongside traditional brewing methods like kimoto and yamahai, barrel-fermented and barrel-aged sake as well as hopped sake and doburoku (unpressed and unfiltered sake).

Maryjoy Lim, general manager of contemporary French restaurant Jag, has observed a growing receptiveness to sakes with “greater savouriness, acidity, minerality or maturity, particularly when they are introduced as part of a considered pairing.” The restaurant’s sake list changes with the seasons: fresh, dry sake for summer, and more viscous aged styles to accompany autumn root vegetables.

At Sushisamba Singapore, guests are asking for sake pairing recommendations beyond sushi and sashimi. Even though wine and cocktails remain established favourites, Vikneswaran Koonnusagaran, cluster head sommelier for Sushisamba’s parent company, the Sunset Hospitality Group Singapore, shared that they have expanded the sake range in the past two years to cut across different prefectures, rice varieties, polishing ratios, brewing styles and flavour profiles. There will also be a “Samba & Sake” pairing programme this month. He shared: “We want our guests to understand that sake is not one single style of drink.”

TAKING SAKE TO THE BAR

Satoh observes that drinkers in their late 20s and 30s are exploring sake cocktails and mixed drinks at bars, a departure from how sake is traditionally consumed here.

Respect and approachability are key. At Bar Kakure, head bartender Kazuhiro Chii uses only Sendai’s Katsuyama Ken sake in three cocktails, including a cherry blossom sake martini and a sake-and-yuzu interpretation of the Moscow Mule. He says most producers he approached preferred their sake unmixed; Katsuyama Brewery’s 12th-generation founder gave him the freedom to experiment.

The Nutmeg Collective’s founder Colin Chia says that the spirit’s “clean, subtle character and how well it works with fruit and acidity” make it particularly apt for refreshingly breezy drinks like Draftland’s Peach Please, a draught cocktail of sake, gin, calpis, lime and peach tea, as well as Last Word’s Sake Sakura Martini.

While interest has not significantly tilted towards sake cocktails compared to conventional ones, Cat Bite Club’s founding partner Gabriel Low finds familiarity makes sake easier to explain than shochu or soju. His bar focuses on rice and agave-based tipples, and the team considers sweetness, acidity, aroma and how much of the sake’s character survives mixing in drinks like Gourdy Fizz and Grape Escape. He said: “Sake can add flavour, but it can also add structure and texture in a much more subtle way than a higher-proof spirit.”

A THIRST FOR UNDERSTANDING

The growth of sake festivals and their programming indicates how the market is evolving.

Launched in 2014, Sake Festival Singapore has gone beyond tastings to be a platform where attendees connect with tojis (master brewers) and kurabitos (brewery workers) who personally make these sakes. Its selection has also doubled from 300 labels in 2024 to 600 from 40 breweries in 2026.

Orihara’s Satoh, the festival’s founder, said: “The direct connection between consumers and producers, relatively unusual at this scale, has become the festival's signature draw.” Food pairings, sommelier-led tours and workshops broaden the learning experience while aged sake widened the options in 2025.

When Ngan and Goh launched Sake Matsuri in 2018, sake was largely associated with Japanese food and a handful of major brands. Ngan said: “We thought a small festival could open people's eyes to smaller producers, a much wider range of styles, and how sake pairs well beyond Japanese cuisine.”

Sake Matsuri now includes a haruzake (spring sake) edition, a trade show, the Singapore Sake Awards and a premium tasting area at Jewel Changi Airport. The market looks ready to dive deeper: the duo launched Sakerama, a festival in July that focused on craft sake, serving everything from “unfiltered doburoku and hopped sake to bottles brewed in New York, Paris, Vietnam and here in Singapore.”

Ichigo Ichie’s Eno believes that the next stage of sake drinking will be driven by uniqueness and meaning. Smaller producers, unusual methods, different rice varieties and lower-alcohol styles offer fresh avenues to explore. She said: “People increasingly want to understand what they are drinking — who made it, where it comes from, why it tastes the way it does, and what makes a particular bottle different.”