It would be fair to say that Japanese food has become a part of American food culture (think sushi, ramen). And what comes with it naturally is Japanese sake.
Sake exports hit the highest level in history in 2022 and the U.S. was the biggest importer by volume and the second biggest by value after China.
Here we are not talking about the notorious, headache-inducing cheap stuff that you may have tried at college. The market has dramatically changed in recent years and many Americans are discovering authentic, high-quality sake.
Luckily, there is more Japanese sake available at local wine shops or online retailers these days. But how do you choose a bottle? Most of us are clueless.
Genki Ito, founder and CEO of the online sake shop Tippsy Sake came up with a solution.
In March, Tippsy introduced a unique online tool that can lead its customers to the right sake out of over 400 labels.
Take The Quiz
The process is simple: take a quiz and answer several multiple-choice, simple questions such as your flavor preference (delicate and dry? rich and slightly sweet?), what you eat with sake (nothing? sushi? all the way meat?), what taste you prefer (floral? citrus? nuts? earth & mineral?), what is your price range and so forth.
A simple quiz leads buyers to the right sake.
Then you get recommended sake labels, which you may have never seen before.
“The majority of our customers are first-time sake buyers. They tend to order what they already had at Japanese restaurants, which are often well-known brands from big producers. We happily sell them, but it is frustrating for us because beautiful hidden gems made by smaller, artisanal brewers are most likely to be ignored,” says Ito.
After the introduction of the new tool, these unsung labels started to move and their sales increased by five to 15 times compared to last year.
“Before the launch of the new tool, we offered pre-selected tasting sets but inevitably, we had to guess our potential customers’ preferences. The new tool provides an interactive, custom-made service, which makes the buying experience more fun, reliable and educational. Some online wine shops offer similar services but ours is the first for Japanese sake,” he says.
Building the algorithm was challenging. Ito and his team spent years collecting data such as hundreds of tasting notes by sake sommeliers and flavor profiles of ingredients provided by brewers.
But the effort seems worthwhile. Tim Sullivan, sake samurai (the honorable title granted by The Japan Sake Brewers Association Junior Council) and co-host of the Sake Revolution podcast, is impressed with Tippsy’s new tool.
“The quiz does a great job. With a few questions, you can get a list of sakes that you did not know you wanted. After your first shipment, you can rate and review your selections for an even more refined selection with your next order. I wish I had this when I was trying my first sake 20 years ago.”
The quiz does not try to drive you to high-price items either. You can choose from a wide range from $20 up to $200 a bottle.
“We don’t push expensive bottles but rather focus on helping potential sake fans experience the rich, nuanced flavors of sake. It’s all about enjoying the journey of discovering new tastes,” says Ito.
Support The Diminishing Industry
Tippsy Sake’s Founder & CEO Genki Ito.
Ito is hoping to create the biggest community of sake lovers by offering educational and entertaining content about sake in various formats, such as films, podcasts and brewery tours.
There used to be 4,000 sake breweries in the 1970s but the number has been quickly shrinking to around 1,000 due to various reasons such as labor shortage and competitive products like wine.
“Our mission is to make people aware of the fantastic world of sake and preserve the precious Japanese tradition. The best way to do so is to give them the first, eye-opening sip of the beautiful beverage. I think our new tool can make it happen more easily than ever.”
Indeed, that memorable moment of tasting high-quality sake can be a life-changing experience. The aforementioned Tim Sullivan used to be a successful IT director and now is a globally-recognized sake authority.
Would you like to take the quiz?