SARIKA SAKE:
Boutique
Japanese Sake
Education & Consultancy
On a Mission to Preserve our 2000-year-old Art of Sake
ハッセー 更香
国連職員からヨーロッパで日本酒で起業。上智⼤学卒業後、英国ロンドン⼤学⼤学院 (London School of Economics)・政治経済学院・理学修士号取得。国連競争試験を経て、十年近くアフリカ・アジア赴任、貧困・人権・政策等に従事。
日本酒愛を広める事が人生のミッションと目覚め、起業。アメリカの有力経済誌「Forbes」にも掲載される。開発した日本酒コスメはEuropean Natural Beauty Awards 受賞。日本酒講座やトークはハーバード大学、マサチューセッツ工科大学 (MIT)、ウオッカ博物館、英国大使公邸、国連学校等で開催。
国際結婚、2児の母。４大陸（アフリカ・アジア・ヨーロッパ・アメリカ）、14カ国に住む。60カ国以上、世界を旅行。
起業家・Sarika International Limited 創立者（アイルランド）
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日本酒学講師
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国際唎酒師 (日本語 & Ver. English) 焼酎唎酒師
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Sake Sommelier Association: Sake Pioneer
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Sake Education Council: Sake Professional
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Sake Scholar Course: Sake Scholar
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Wine Scholar Guild: Spanish Wine Scholar
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🍶Which Sake to pair with what food?!
🍶Which Sake to drink hot or cold?!
🍶Which glassware for which Sake?
Sarika Sake Credentials
Official Competition Judge for:
World Sake Sommelier Competition Judge 2025 第6回世界きき酒師コンクールきき酒師審査員
Tokyo Whisky & Spirits Competition, Japan 2024
Féminalise World Wine Competition, France 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022
Japan Women’s Sake Awards, Japan 2024
Clients include:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Japan Program
Harvard Business School - Asian American Business Association
Polish Vodka Museum
11,000+ students enrolled in Sarika’s online courses
Sake Certifications Awarded:
SSI Official Sake & Shochu Lecturer 日本酒学講師
Official Sake & Shochu Lecturer, Sake Academy, Tokyo, Japan
Official Lecturer, Food & Beverage Organization, Japan
Certified Sake Scholar
Sake Competition Judge
Master Sommelier of Sake
Doburoku Ambassador
Sake Pioneer, Sake Sommelier Association
Graduate, Sake & Shochu Academy, Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association (JSS)
Post-Workshop Survey 4.69 out of 5.00
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Japan Program
“Sarika is such a gift to the world, and one of the most interesting women I have ever met. Her laugh and awesome sense of humour will keep you engaged - she is a mesmerising teacher and draws students in with her sheer love of life and incredible enthusiasm in all she does”
Suzanne Vian, USA, Founder, Saigon Yoga
Thanks to you Sarika!! You were Fabulous yesterday evening! What a success 👏 amazing speaker and sake specialist wow 🍶
♥️ I would give you 12/10
Claudine Kloetzli, Artist Switzerland/Spain
The SAKE workshop was an incredibly positive experience. The workshop dynamic was enjoyable and informative. I appreciated the clear and comprehensive content, including the reference material.
Elizabeth Kehoe
I was truly impressed by several things.
The first was how the workshop was carefully structured...a friendly warmup exercise, a self introduction, the creative and very clear powerpoint slides to help people connect all the information that you were sharing, the summary, explaining what had been covered and what new learnings had taken place and them a Q & A period. Well structure and absolutely delightful."
Sue Babock, Editor, Centered on Taipei Magazine
Go from Sake Novice to Sake Connoisseur, Fun and Fast!
Sake Programs
Sake Consultancy
Please contact me with your scope & budget. Past projects included collaboration with JSS (Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association), Shochu and Doburoku International Promotion, staff training, Sake menu pairing advice, and keynote speaking.
Contact
FREE 30-min Japanese Sake Masterclass
In 30 Minutes, Go from SAKE Virgin to SAKE Savvy, Fun & Fast!
By Sarika, Certified Sake Scholar
Watch Here!
My Sake Story
Actually, I never really liked Sake all my life! (even though I loved all other kinds of alcohol!). That was until I tasted a local brew in Fukushima back in 2009. It was so completely different from anything I've tasted before. It was rather shocking to learn that Sake was this good! I had been missing out all these decades, declining Sake, simply based on my prejudices from a few bad earlier Sake experiences.
Since then, I quietly started my own sake studies, unofficially (visiting breweries and meeting brewers) and unofficially (obtaining Sake certifications). The more I learned and tasted, the more I did not understand (!), but I became so much more fascinated by Sake.
Then, I learned that the domestic consumption of Sake is steeply declining and breweries are having to close every year. In fact, Sake, our 2000-year-old 'national alcohol', only occupies 7% of the whole alcohol market share in Japan! Quite a shock. It did not seem like this reality was doing justice to Sake.
I also became fascinated by women and women masters (toji) who work in this largely male-dominated industry. At present, only about 25 out of 1200 Sake breweries are headed by women tojis.
I wanted to share the beauty of Sake to my friends and others while also supporting women who work in Sake.
Sake | Shochu Certifications
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日本酒学講師 (No.000456) Official Lecturer | Certified Master Sake Sommelier, Sake Service Institute, Japan
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Official Lecturer, Food & Beverage Specialists Organization (FBO), Tokyo, Japan
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Judge, Féminalise World Wine Competition, Paris, 2022, 2023, 2024
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Judge, Japan’s Women Sake Award 2023
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Judge, Tokyo Whiskey & Spirits Competition 2024
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Appointed as Doburoku Ambassador
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2019 Graduate, Sake & Shochu Academy, Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association (JSS)
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Certified Sake Scholar
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Sake Pioneer, Sake Sommelier Association
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国際利酒師 (No.116451) Certified International Sake Sommelier Kikisake-Shi (English)
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日本酒利酒師 (No.031523) Certified Sake Sommelier Kikisake-Shi (Japanese)
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Certified Sake Professional, Sake Education Council
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日本酒品質鑑定士 Certified Sake Quality Evaluation Expert
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焼酎利酒師 (No.030172) Certified Shochu Sommelier
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焼酎品質鑑定士 Certified Shochu Quality Evaluation Expert
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Certified Spanish Wine Scholar, Wine Scholar Guild
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Certified in Wine Level 1, Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET)
