Electronic music pioneer and
ENTER.SAKE founder
Richie Hawtin, has been named a 2014 "Sake Samurai" by the
Sake Samurai Association: a council for the
Japan Sake Brewers Association. The prestigious "Samurai" title was awarded to Hawtin at the annual Sake Samurai Awards for his outstanding contribution to the understanding, appreciation and promotion of sake through his
ENTER.SAKE project at the
Shimogamo Shrine, one of the oldest shrines in Japan, in Kyoto earlier this month during the ceremony awards. Hawtin first launched
ENTER.SAKE in 2012 at his award-winning club concept
ENTER. in Ibiza after noticing lot of similarities in the Sake industry & the Independent Electronic Music scene. What originally started as a wish to share his passion for Sake and Japanese culture with friends after twenty years of traveling, working, and tasting sake in Japan, led to the launch of Ibiza’s first true sake bar experience and the creation of Hawtin’s own boutique
ENTER.Sake collection after wondering if there was some way for him to help revitalize the Sake industry and introduce fans and colleagues into the world of Japanese Sake & culture.
Hawtin stated that “The Sake industry was filled with small family-run breweries each following their own distinct style with careful & creative thought about each step of the production, much like how our favorite music labels dedicate themselves to a certain sound and unique aesthetics. At the same moment I learned how the domestic Japanese Sake industry was actually in decline with so many young people moving their tastes to Beer, Wine, Cocktails and other spirits, forcing many breweries, some with hundreds of years of history, to close their doors forever. This sparked my imagination of somehow combining my love (and knowledge) of the Electronic Music scene and the world of Japanese Sake in a way to help (in my own way) revitalize the Sake industry and introduce my fans and colleagues into the world of Japanese Sake & culture.”
Working in collaboration with the Kyota-based Sookuu brewery, Hawtin brought the exclusive ENTER.Sookuu “Black”, “Silver” & “Gold” Sake brand to Ibiza along with hand-selected sparkling varieties from Japan’s legendary Dassai Brewing. The Sake Samurai Award comes in the same year that ENTER.SAKE also made its US debut, with an exclusive launch at New York restaurant TAO Downtown, the first time ever that Hawtin’s Sake and Shochu brand, created with the Matsumoto Sake Brewery in Kyoto, has been made available outside of Ibiza.
The
Sake Samurai Association was established in 2004 to protect both sake and Japanese traditions at home and to promote them internationally. Since 2006, the association has awarded the annual "Samurai" titles to individuals committed to upholding the following three tenets: to love both Sake & the culture of Japan, strive to gain a deeper understanding of sake culture & to work on behalf of its further development and spread the word about Japanese sake around the world with pride and passion.
For more information, Please check the links provided below.
www.entersake.com or
www.sakesamurai.co.uk