About JOS

Mission

The Joy of Sake is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and celebrate the art and culture of sake through actual tasting events.

A man holding and studying a bottle (2014 New York)
A happy couple with leis are raising sake cups, laughing and enjoying sake (2011 Honolulu)

Background

Joy of Sake tasting events have been held annually since 2001. They provide an opportunity for the public to taste entries submitted to the U.S. National Sake Appraisal, a blind tasting with judges from Japan and the U.S. conducted every year in Honolulu.

Bottles on the table (2008 San Francisco)
A couple facing each other and sampling their sake in the crowd behind sake display table (2013 Honolulu)

The event

The sakes presented for tasting are shipped directly from the breweries in Japan via refrigerated containers and arrive in peak condition. Bottles are set out on tasting tables, and guests use pipettes to transfer about ten milliliters to their personal tasting cups. Because the servings are small, even light drinkers are able to sample a variety of entries during the evening and gain an appreciation of the diversity of brewing styles and flavor profiles. This once-a-year opportunity to experience the great variety of sakes being made today provides an entrée into the broader panorama of Japan’s culture and arts.

A female volunteer opening a sake bottle with a smile (2016 Honolulu)
Bottles on the table (2014 New York)
Saikyo Miso-marinated Foie Gras by Restaurant Kazu (2014 Tokyo)

Cuisine

Cuisine plays a prominent role in sake culture. At The Joy of Sake, between 15 and 20 restaurants serve delicious sake appetizers from stations adjacent to the tasting tables. This combination of fine sake and creative cuisine makes The Joy of Sake a uniquely enjoyable event.

Roast Pork Summer Roll by The Kahala Hotel & Resort (2014 Honolulu)
Brewers, Miss Sake and others opening a sake barrel with wooden mallets (2015 Honolulu)

Fund-raising

The Joy of Sake contributes revenues from its events to charities and museum programs. It has raised funds for the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii and the Honolulu Academy of Arts. In 2011, The Joy of Sake donated funds to provide financial relief for sake brewery workers affected by the East Japan Great Earthquake.

A happy couple facing each other enjoying sake with photo bomb (2008 New York)
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