A Japanese sake company has classified its sakes by the times of day they are best consumed. Each variant, labelled with specific hours from 6pm to 5am, aims to simplify the selection process for consumers. At the same time, the company is positioning its wines as versatile companions for Western cuisine.
The aim is to make traditional Japanese rice wine more accessible and appealing to younger and international audiences. The Hinemos brand was thus created to “make sake simpler”, according to RiceWine, a Kanawaga-based start-up sake company founded in 2021.
The “time concept” aligns each type of sake to specific occasions, from pre-dinner drinks at 6pm to late night drinks from 10pm onwards. This approach addresses the common challenge of choosing the right drink for each occasion, which is helpful for consumers, especially sake beginners.
“Sake is complex even to the Japanese, that’s why we want to simplify it for consumers. Time is a universal concept that can help people understand when and how to enjoy sake,” said Hideyuki Kawamura, business development manager at RiceWine Singapore.
Kawamura is in charge of marketing efforts in Singapore, one of the Asian regions that the company is eyeing. It is currently expanding into six Asian countries, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Vietnam, said its CEO Yuta Sakai.
Making sake accessible
With competitive beverages flooding the market, the first step is to demystify sake drinking and invite consumers to explore a traditional alcohol without feeling overwhelmed.
Different flavours and varied levels of alcohol content are aligned with Hinemos sakes.
Its latest addition includes Rokuji, a 6pm dry sparkling rice wine with 11% alcohol suitable as a pre-dinner drink. It precedes Sichiji, a 7pm sparkling with 5% alcohol that whets one appetite directly before dinner.
Tapping on the latest pop culture, Hachiji is an 8pm Korean-inspired sake with 7% alcohol that can be enjoyed during meals. It is milky white with rice grains and a high yeast content.
For the seasoned sake drinkers, there is the junmai daiginjo, or pure rice wine range. This includes the 9pm Kuji and the 11pm Juichiji, which has 15% and 14% alcohol respectively. Both are suitable for light drinking at events or gatherings.
The 3am Sanji features a bold smoky flavour that comes from ageing the sake in cedar barrels, and contains 15% alcohol.
Among these, the bestselling range are the sweeter, lower-alcohol sakes, such as the midnight Reiji with 5% alcohol – a flowery drink that is meant as a reward to self after a long day – and the 5am Goji with 2% alcohol, a dessert wine reminiscent of fresh morning air.
This aligns with Kawamura’s observation that consumers outside of Japan, Singapore in particular, seems to prefer low or no alcohol that tends towards sweeter flavours. The younger Japanese consumers have a similar preference.
“Nowadays, not just in Japan but also in Singapore, younger generations tend to prefer low-alcohol or even non-alcoholic drinks. They usually like lighter sakes that are not too dry.
“And in Japan, people are accustomed to drinking sake because it’s part of the culture, as we grew up with it. But here in Singapore, there isn’t much of a sake culture. It’s more of a wine culture. Wine tends to be sweeter compared to Japanese sake, which is why people outside Japan often prefer sweeter beverages,” observed Kawamura.
However, the firm saw that the Japanese sake market is growing worldwide, particularly in regions like China and Singapore. This was why RiceWine aimed to expand overseas from the very beginning.
“China is actually the largest sake market, and we’ve already established a branch there. Singapore, on the other hand, is the fifth-largest sake market,” said Kawamura.
The growing demand for sake is accompanied by the preference for low or no alcohols that are easier on the palette, and also easy to pair with food.
Catering to modern preferences
Traditionally paired with Japanese cuisine, Hinemos is positioning sake as a versatile companion to global dishes.
Plans are underway for a restaurant in Singapore that will pair sake with French and Italian cuisines, challenging conventional perceptions.
“This is about showing the adaptability of sake. It can be as versatile as wine, and we want to make that known,” Kawamura said.
This rethinking of food-wine pairings resonates with global dining trends, where consumers are increasingly seeking unique, cross-cultural experiences. By pairing sake with non-Japanese cuisines, brands like Hinemos are breaking barriers and attracting adventurous food enthusiasts.
However, Kawamura stresses that the company remains committed to brewing authentic Japanese sakes.
“Our sakes are made only from rice. Some Japanese breweries mix rice with other ingredients like herbs, flavourings, fruits, or honey, but we focus solely on rice – that’s our concept. If you mix other ingredients, it’s no longer sake.
“We want to stay true to Japanese sake. When other ingredients are added, it becomes craft sake, which is different from traditional Japanese sake. Our aim is to express flavour through techniques, not by adding additional ingredients,” said Kawamura.
Distribution
While the US remains a significant market for sake, regulatory hurdles make expansion there challenging. “Each state has its own laws, and distribution logistics are complicated by the distance from Japan and the time difference,” he shared.
Closer to home, Malaysia and Thailand are emerging as potential markets.
“Malaysia is geographically close to Singapore, making logistics easier. Plus, there’s cultural similarity and market potential due to the large Chinese population, even though the Muslim community might avoid alcohol,” he noted.
In Singapore, the focus is on leveraging higher price points.
“Sake here can be sold at two to three times the price in Japan, which helps cover costs from shipping and warehousing,” Kawamura said.
The popular Shichiji, for example, is retailing at SGD80 for a 500ml bottle.
Essentially, Hinemos seeks to expand sake’s appeal by pairing it with non-Japanese cuisines, which it believes can boost sales and brand recognition. Its strategy includes maintaining exclusivity by limiting distribution to premium venues and its own online store.
