The competition was the first Tokyo challenge organised by the London-based Sake Sommelier Association, which organises sake education and also challenges around the world that Zenkuro’s also entered.
"This organisation has really become established as kind of like the main non-Japanese sake educators," director/head brewer Dave Joll says.
"I guess the idea was to get sake out to the world but probably they just felt they were ready for Tokyo."
Zenkuro’s gold was in the Junmai Gunjo category, and Joll thinks their success is due to their "old traditional pressing method, the drip press".
"It’s very inefficient — it’s slow and the yield is low — but you get a very clean, delicate, aromatic style."
Joll notes they were one of only two non-Japanese breweries to be awarded gold.
To celebrate their first decade, he says they’re organising sake pairing dinners around the country.
They’ve also got one in Tokyo next month in association with New Zealand-style restaurant Zealander.
