Why Sake Collective?

Located in one of London's most multicultural and popular areas -Spitalfields- Sake Collective delivers a taste of Japan to your door through the biggest collection of Sake and Japanese spirits in the UK. With a selection of more than 100 sakes from more than 30 breweries, regardless of whether you are looking to repeat a known sake or discover something new, Sake Collective is the right place for you!

What makes us unique and, what will make your visit special, is Sake Collective's direct relationship with several passionate breweries in Japan, which allows the shop to always bring something new and exciting to the UK market. This has been made possible by the work of Sake Collective's CEO -Yuya Yamamoto- who has personally researched and chosen the products, ensuring uniqueness, quality and freshness. This is true not only for sakes but also for spirits and gins in particular. Some of the gins available at the shop, from Ethical Craft Gin, are produced by the same company Sake Collective belongs to, further ensuring the delivery unique and high-quality products.

Our commitment to you 

We know that approaching sake as a beginner can be an overwhelming experience, especially because of its differences with wine. But there is no need to worry! Sake Collective's enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff is ready to help you navigate this world and find the right fit for you. With the large collection of sake displayed at the shop, that goes from fruity to sharp, to clean and tangy, the possibilities are endless! On top of this, Sake Collective, with its bar specialised in sake and Japanese spirits, will give you the possibility to taste more than 30 different products by glass, helping you discover the key characteristics of each product and master your knowledge of sake. If you still can't decide, no need to worry! Sake Collective's staff can still help you through tasting sets that will allow you to bring home different sakes to compare to find the right one for you!

Exciting opportunities to discover unexpected pairings between sake and food are also made available periodically at Sake Collective's Shoreditch shop, to help you discover the countless possibilities offered by sake as an addition to your everyday life! While there is often the misconception that sake can only be enjoyed with Japanese food, previous events held at the shop have shown that this is not true. Past pairing events have included, in fact, an italian cheese pairing as well as a pastry and cake pairing event, showing the flexibility of Japan’s most renowned traditional drink. Similar pairing and tasting events are organized periodically by Sake Collective’s knowledgeable staff so, be on the alert to discover new ways to integrate sake’s fascinating flavours to your everyday life! 

Beyond sake- our selection

Sake Collective’s inventory is about more than sake. The shop offers a wide variety of spirits: shochu, fruit-based alcohols, awamori and gins.

While Shochu is a less renowned type of spirit in the UK, it is embedded in the Japanese culture and, often a first choice for many in the country. It is generally made from sweet potatoes or barley, but can be produced using ingredients such as rice, brown sugar, green tea and milk, making it a very diverse and interesting drink. While it does indeed have a peculiar mouthfeel, being it similar to brandy and vodka, it can be easily integrated into cocktails to bring Japanese flavours to your favourite drinks and to make its lovely flavour more accessible. Other possibilities include being served straight, on the rock, and mixed with other drinks both hot and cold. Our shop stocks 6 different types of shochu, with different flavours, making it a perfect place to get to know this traditional drink.

Sake Collective offers a wide variety of fruit-flavoured alcoholic drinks as well, more accessible because of their sweet and fruity flavours. Especially popular, not only in the UK but also in Europe, are yuzushu and umeshu. The first is made with the Japanese yuzu and has citrussy and delicate flavour, which makes it perfect for people who are less comfortable with drinks with a decisive alcohol taste.

Umeshu, on the other hand, is made with plum. Particularly popular is the brand Umesky, which as the name suggests mixes umeshu with whisky, creating a decisive and lovely flavour that will remind you of Japan.

 

Finally, Sake Collective’s newest addition is awamori, a type of drink rarely known outside of Japan. Awamori is made in the tropical prefecture of Okinawa through a technique that is said to have been used for more than 500 years! Made in a similar way as shochu but with a sweeter and smoother flavour, it is definitely more accessible option for a wide range of people, especially those who like tequila and mezcal because of the similar smokiness that can be found in them.

Sake Collective, through its events and bar, is not only about selling sake but, about creating a community of people that share a passion for Japan’s traditional drinks, and helping people discover the beauty of Japan from its bar culture. Equipped with the biggest collection of Sakes in the UK and, with the interest of bringing to the UK various types of Japanese spirits, Sake Collective is therefore the right place for you to begin your journey to Japan by immerging yourself in one of the most important aspects of the Japanese culture.