Sake Mistress

26/05/2026

Kanpai! to 5 years of the Australian Sake Awards. 🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶

Our 5th annual event was held in Sydney this month, and I honestly believe it was our best one yet.

Serving as a Director and Head Judge alongside a dedicated team is always a privilege, but watching this community grow over the last five years has been something truly special.

We had an incredible lineup of judges join us this year—some traveling from across the country and others making the journey all the way from Japan. It was fantastic to reconnect with our returning judges and welcome some amazing new faces to the family.

Day 1 saw us dive deep into our regular categories, while Day 2 put sake to the test with our chosen food pairing categories.

Everyone involved did a truly remarkable job, and I am immensely grateful to work alongside such a passionate group of people.

On a personal note, it was an absolute honour to once again MC the two-day event. 🙇🏻‍♀️

Thank you to all involved for a fabulous weekend and a wonderful 5-year celebration of the Australian Sake Awards.

Special Kansha, Kanpai & Otsukaresama, of course, to ASA President , the JAMS.TV staff and my fellow ASA head judges. 🙏🍶🙇🏻‍♀️


📸:

22/05/2026

I’ve barely had time to catch my breath since arriving home from Sydney on Monday - so just a quick post to acknowledge the past weekend and the mammoth efforts of everyone involved in this year’s 🙏

It’s an honour to be a Director and Head Judge of ASA, and to celebrate our 5th year of the competition.
Otsukaresama, Kansha and Kanpai!
📸:

More words soon. 🙇🏻‍♀️

13/05/2026

Meet Simone Maynard — your host for the Luxury Nara Sake Brewery and Michelin Tour.

As one of Australia’s leading sake educators and advocates — and a recognised Sake Samurai — Simone has spent more than 15 years sharing her passion for Japanese sake. Along the way, she has built trusted relationships with brewers, producers, and industry experts across Japan and Australia.

What makes travelling with Simone so special is not just her knowledge, but the way she connects people through sake.

The breweries featured on this tour have been carefully selected through Simone’s deep understanding of sake styles, brewing methods, regional character, and the people behind each brewery. These are not simply “popular breweries” — they are places with unique stories, incredible craftsmanship, and passionate makers who are excited to share what they do.

Throughout the journey, guests will gain insight into much more than just tasting notes. Simone brings sake to life through stories, context, and approachable explanations — from traditional brewing techniques and modern innovations to practical food pairing, serving styles, seasonality, and even the influence of sake vessels on the experience.

This tour is designed for people who want to go beyond simply visiting breweries. Through Simone’s long-standing connections and warm, engaging approach, guests are welcomed into experiences and conversations that would be difficult to access independently.

Whether you are already passionate about sake or simply curious to learn more, this tour offers a rare opportunity to experience Japan’s sake culture in a deeper, more personal way.

🔗 Early Bird pricing is available until the end of June. Click the link below to start planning your sake journey!
https://sake-festival.com.au/sake-tours/nara2026/

04/05/2026

Great to catch up with this crew for another fabulous sake lunch in Melbourne.
So nice to see the group growing and always great to have the sake flowing.
Thanks, as always, to for organising the venue, allowing us to BYO sake.
🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶🍶

03/05/2026

A huge thank you to the fabulous and .sj.steadman for letting me come back on their wonderful radio show, EAT IT, on Melbourne’s
It’s always such a joy to talk all things sake with people — especially when they love it almost as much as I do!
Great to also meet, Kanpai and share the 🎙️ with the delightful Jason Jones from
Arigatou gozaimash*ta. 🙇🏻‍♀️🙏🍶
Thank you also to the lovely listeners who sent in some really beautiful messages. Kanpai and happy Sunday evening to you all. 🍁🍂🧡🍑

15/04/2026

Nara is beautiful in November 😉

The wait is finally over!

We are happy to be able to share the full itinerary and pricing for our Luxury Nara Sake Brewery and Michelin Tour - now live on our website.

Here at Insider Sake Tours Japan, we have spent months curating this experience to ensure it is unlike any other. From private sessions with master brewers in the birthplace of refined sake to unforgettable evenings at some of Nara’s most exclusive Michelin-starred tables, this is a deep dive into the heart of Japanese craftsmanship and culture.

Book by 30 June to receive our special Early Bird Offer.

We'd love to welcome you on this wondrous journey through Japan's ancient capital in November.

For full tour details and pricing, including our Early Bird rates, head over to our website!
https://sake-festival.com.au/sake-tours/nara2026/

Tour dates: 15-22 November 2026

13/04/2026

It had long been a dream of mine to visit this brewery.

Huge thank you to mentor/friend, Yoram, for making this visit possible.

Visiting Akishika in Nose - a rural, mountainous area in the northernmost part of Osaka Prefecture - was definitely another highlight of this recent Japan trip.

Thanks to people like Yoram, and the team at , I have been a fan of Akishika sake for many years.

Their TWTT session back in 2020 was one of the most wholesome and memorable in the series, and it was such an honour to finally be able to visit Oku-san at Akishika Shuzo.
akishika
🍶🍶

09/04/2026

Some snaps from a most enjoyable visit to Kinosh*ta Brewery - Tamagawa, last week.
Philip, who is always so generous with his time and knowledge, gave us a wonderful tour of the brewery, hosted a delicious local lunch, and we finished the day tasting an incredible line-up of Tamagawa sake.
So happy to have shared the experience with .amata and
Definitely one of the most memorable moments of this Japan trip.
Possibly more photos at a later date. ✌️

🍶🍶🍶

07/04/2026

I had a great time on the 28th March at Tokyo Sake Challenge.
It was a lot of fun and an honour to be part of an event hosted by two fabulous "women in sake", that I am also proud to call my friends.
Giulia and Cindy did an amazing job hosting the second Tokyo Sake Challenge.
It was great to catch up with some old sake friends and also make some new ones.

Big props to my table and our awesome head judge ~ Otsukaresama desh*ta. 🙇🏻‍♀️

Big love and thanks to and for the opportunity and for all their hard work. 🙏🙇🏻‍♀️🙌👏

Photos 1-8 by 🍶

23/03/2026

My first visit to Gunma and a wonderful afternoon spent with Nagai-san.
Kawaba is a beautiful, picturesque village in Gunma Prefecture.
Sparkling sake by the mountain stream and a wonderful tasting in their incredible tasting room with stunning views.
More photos to come.
Huge gratitude to for sharing his time, passion, knowledge and sake. 🙇🏻‍♀️🙏🍶🥂