HONG KONG: HOW A THIRST FOR JAPAN IS CHANGING DRINKING HABITS
Marooned residents are taking Sake enjoyment to new levels, riding a wave of increased supply and diversification.
Although one of the world’s most densely populated territories, Hong Kong’s handling of the pandemic stranglehold is, on the surface, a textbook example with fewer than 12,000 cases and 212 deaths.
However, like many countries, the food and beverage industry has been a scapegoat shouldering the brunt of the blame and a large share of the restrictions in the fight against the virus.
Yet despite crippling regulations, Hong Kong has taken a sizeable bite of Sake’s JPY24.1 billion 2020 export business, up a staggering 56.7% compared to 2019, surpassing China and the US in total value. Source: Reuters
Seemingly Hongkongers still need their Japan time, and more so than ever in this period of crisis during which time the Sake market is changing, largely for the better.
Hong Kong’s palate is predominantly calibrated to the Ginjo grades of Sake. A quick glance across the range at most respectable Sake retailers makes this abundantly obvious, and the online prevalence isn’t much different. The Koji Sake team commented to me that “Hong Kong has a strong, almost unhealthy, obsession with polishing rate.”
Zoku restaurant opened in the middle of the pandemic. “We serve 80% Daiginjo Sake here,” explains Sabrina Cantini Budden, Beverage Manager “although we offer great variety including Yamahai and Kimoto. Honjozo too.”
Luke Clayton, CEO of Wa Creations, oversees a handful of stunning Japanese dining concepts. Despite the restrictions imposed on hospitality and a closed border preventing collaborations with master brewers from Japan, the cry for top end Sake remains strong.
“We continue to add to our list of limited-edition Sakes as there is certainly demand here. When things open up I anticipate a very strong rebound from Japanese food lovers.”
Life has been even tougher for bars, finally able to reopen on 29 April after five months, albeit under a highly confusing and politically charged set of rules. Full or partial vaccination status permits extended trading opportunities, but poor inoculation uptake means bars just aren’t seeing the benefits.
Not surprisingly, the supply chain has had to adapt. “Our sales have actually grown,” claims Eric Fung, whose business, Flavor of Life, imports from small to midsize breweries. “It’s a very crowded scene now, with loose import regulations and low taxes attracting many new market entrants and an online retail boom through social media. What’s helped us, as a smaller entity, is that unlike the big guys we can alter our model quickly and be more entrepreneurial.”
For Fung, the crux has been to use the time to get closer to his end user. “We’ve become a Prefectural professional, increasing knowledge, leveraging support and enhancing our credibility with our Japanese partners to deliver a more intimate client offer. We’re even giving consumer comments directly back to breweries so they can refine to Hong Kong preferences.”
Starved of travel, Sake drinkers are looking at more niche products, eager to expand the repertoire beyond Ginjo and experience a Japan ‘fix’ from within their apartment. From the largest Japanese-style department store in Hong Kong, SOGO, to smaller online shops, the key is range churn and authenticity.
Co-founder of several iconic Hong Kong food and beverage locations, Elliot Faber notices the growing attraction of unpasteurized Sake since 2020. “People are definitely excited to be drinking Namazake as normally it’s something you can only enjoy in Japan. Drinking Nama and seasonal releases has lifted spirits. It’s one of the only ways to get some of that Japan nostalgia back.”
The Hong Kong consumer is becoming more and more curious about the world of Sake. Kowloon-based wholesaler Sake Moto reports that 60 new online competitors are vying to win the interest of the at home drinker. This has inspired an ambitious growth plan including a purpose-built tasting room, the ‘Kura Story’ series of virtual brewery visits and a collaboration with a local izakaya to host tailored pairing events.
“Most of our clientele have a good level of knowledge, demanding something new and different so we’re bringing in more and more Koshu and barrel aged Sakes,” says business partner Oliver Chan.
Taking it to the next level, the Hong Kong Wine Academy confirms that there is a stronger interest now in obtaining Sake qualifications, offering a portfolio of courses from three authorised programme providers. A handful of proactive retailers too are picking up on this and promoting a value-add service of informal Sake education.
“More people are interested now in studying, with the Sake Service Institute course proving particularly popular,” Koji Sake informs me. “I’m using online videos to ‘pitch’ Sakes to customers which I never had to do before. However the key thing for Koji Sake, when it comes to imports, remains the importance of good temperature controls and now with such a crowded market, this isn’t always happening.”
The reality of being stuck in a little over 1,000 square kilometres for the last 12 months has sharpened the focus of Hong Kong’s Sake industry and broken down some, but not all, of the longstanding elitist views on what constitutes good Sake.
A stigma remains around price still. More affordable Sakes like Junmai and particularly Honjozo are deemed to be of lower quality whereas the enduring perception of good Sake is that it should be delicate and aromatic. Sakes with high umami and rice heavy aromas are often seen as more suitable for Western run venues.
The irony is that a lot of local Cantonese cuisine is the ideal partner to these Sake styles, with plenty of dishes featuring mushrooms, meaty broths, spicing and siu mei (Cantonese barbecue) components.
Although there is still plenty to explore, it’s clear that the city’s Sake movement is making big strides into some new and unknown territory. With the pandemic stretching further into 2021 than previously anticipated, it will be interesting to see where Hong Kong ends up in its bid to secure that next hit of Japan.
FOOTNOTE:
This article was actually written in late Spring this year but temporarily got shelved. Sadly the two month delay hasn’t seen a lot change in terms of a return to normality. However, we can still enjoy Sake, and divert those holiday funds into supporting the Japanese Sake industry, albeit from further afield than we’d all like.
Massive thanks to Hong Kong’s Sake heroes:
www.koji-sake.com/ @koji_sake
www.thehari.com/hong-kong / @theharihk
@flavour_of_life
www.sake-central.com / @sakecentral
www.sakemotohk.com / @sakemotohk
QUICK GLOSSARY:
Ginjo 吟醸: Sake made from rice at a polishing ratio below 60%
Yamahai 山廃: Yeast starter method developed after Kimoto allowing for natural lactic acid production but without the labour of Kimoto’s long paddles (takes 4 weeks)
Kimoto 生酛: Kimoto is a style of Sake that uses the original yeast starter method laboriously created using long paddles to promote natural lactic acid development (takes 4 weeks)
Daiginjo大吟醸: Sake made from rice at a polishing ratio below 50%
Honjozo 本醸造: Sake made from rice at a polishing ratio below 70%
Namazake: 生酒 (生:raw, fresh, or living; 酒:sake) – in short, unpasteurized Sake
Koshu: General term for aged Sake
