Overview
Love a sip of sake? Fans of Japanese rice wine should add Sakeshop to their must-visit list. Now open in Stanmore and trading in everything sake (as you may have guessed from the name, which pulls very few punches), Sakeshop specialises in nihonshu, shochu, umeshu (all variations of sake) and Japanese beer.
The team behind Sakeshop have run this gamble before. A sake store was introduced to Chef's Armoury in Richmond four years ago and enthusiastically received by Melbourne's sake fiends. Owner Leigh Hudson, a form chef, sommelier and accredited sake educator, has expanded to Sydney — but Sakeshop is more than just a shop.
In addition to serving different types of sakes, the store hosts events and classes spanning everything from discovering and pairing various tipples to learning everything there is to know about the beverage in question. They're also putting on pop-up izakaya nights, the first of which is going down on August 9, with another slated September 16. And they'll also be offering sake education courses through WSET Sake School, the only certified sake-based course in Australia. There are intensive classes for hardcore enthusiasts and also one-day courses for those of you who just want to be impressive on a date. Check out the website for dates. Kanpai!
Find Sakeshop at 105-107 Percival Road, Stanmore. Head to their website and Facebook page for further information.
By Imogen Baker and Sarah Ward.