The Australian Sake Awards ceremony took place on Friday 29th September, 2023.

The event was held at the exquisite residence of the Japanese Consul-General in Sydney. 

Guests began arriving from 6pm, which included many guests visiting from Japan, exclusively for the ceremony, to represent their respective breweries. Other guests included Japanese and Australian media, local sake importers and members of this year’s ASA judging panel. 

On arrival, guests were presented with welcome drinks, kindly sponsored by Sakedokoro Namara and Daiwa Food.

JAMS.TV Director and ASA organiser Mr. Tsuyoshi Endo opened official proceedings with a welcome speech and thank you to all involved in this year’s awards. In his opening speech Mr. Endo remarked, “The Australian Sake Awards are not merely a testament to the exquisite craftsmanship of Japanese sake brewers but also a celebration of Australia’s growing appreciation and love for this unique and refined beverage.”

Guest speakers included Mr. Tokuda Shuichi – Consul-General of Japan in Sydney, Mr. Takayuki Watanabe – Managing Director of JETRO Sydney, and Ms. Simone Maynard – Sake Samurai and representative for the 2023 judging panel.

After hearing from the guest speakers, Mr. Endo read out the award winners while Mark Ferguson and Simone Maynard, members of the head judging panel, presented the official award certificates to each brewery representative. 

Guests were then able to taste all the award-winning sake and enjoy a wonderful selection of sushi and sashimi prepared on site by the Consul-General’s exclusive chef, Mr. Kodera. In addition, Masuya and Otowa-san from Masuya Japanese Restaurant presented a delightful range of Japanese inspired delicacies on the balcony for guests to enjoy alongside the award-winning sake.

The event concluded at 8pm, with a number of guests flying back to Japan the following day, and others taking part in the Australian Sake Festival at Carriageworks in Sydney.

The full list of awards winners can be viewed here:

https://australiansakeawards.org.au/en/news/102