It seems only right that the first article of 2021 (sorry for the delay) should be a positive one as we enter a year of hope and optimism, with a sprinkle of can do avant-garde attitude.

They have a saying in Texas, apparently, which goes: He’s so busy you’d think he was twins. And that aptly describes Adam Blumenshein’s existence these past months along with his team at Texas Sake.

It seems that everything is in a state of change these days. Climate, politics, how we as people behave, and how we look after each other. The Sake world also has seen some significant changes in the short and medium term, but it is good to see that in the export market data, Hong Kong remains in second place, after the USA, on Sake import by value.

I’ve found myself recently having lots of conversations around just how long ago things happened - graduation (1992), the (first) Rolling Stones ‘farewell tour’ I went to see (1995) and the like. So when it comes to what has happened in the six year timeline for Kanpai London, from idea hatching to where there are now, it’s quite remarkable just what has been achieved. 

Just over 18 months ago, I had my first taste of Zenkuro Sake, and it became immediately apparent that passion and determination are critical ingredients to making quality Sake into a global phenomenon outside of Japan.