Masumi becomes first sake brewery to win the ICC SAKE AWARD

A knockout contest to find drinks that can compete worldwide

The ICC Summit is a business conference that brings together Japanese entrepreneurs and executives. The SAKE AWARD, held as part of it, aims to create drinks in Japan that can succeed around the world. This seventh edition took place in Kyoto in September 2026. Ten companies took part in the qualifying round, and the eight that advanced went into the final tournament. Around 70 judges, a mix of drinks specialists and ordinary participants, vote in each round for the single drink that left the strongest impression. Because the runners-up tied on votes in the semi-final, three companies contested the final. The entries were not limited to sake: cider, rice shochu, gin, craft beer and even plum liqueur were all on the table.

A No. 7 yeast brewery shows three faces

The winner, Masumi, is a brewery founded in 1662 in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture. Suwa lies west of Tokyo, a cool highland town surrounded by mountains. The yeast discovered at this brewery in 1946 spread to breweries across the country as “Kyokai No. 7” and is still in use today. Since 2019, Masumi has switched to brewing exclusively with this No. 7 yeast. In the tournament, it presented a different drink in each round. The quarter-final was “Masumi Nanago”, which represents the brewery’s origins. The semi-final was “Yumedono 1971”, brewed in 1971 and aged for about half a century. The final was the “Origarami Sparkling”, which undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle for about nine months. “Origarami” refers to sake that keeps a little fine sediment, giving it a slightly white, cloudy look. Katsuhiko Miyasaka, head of the brewery’s president’s office, has trained at World Sake Imports, Masumi’s importer in the UK.

A podium shared by cider and rice shochu

In second place was Marukame Brewery of Matsukawa, Nagano Prefecture. A cider specialist launched by an apple orchard with an 80-year history, it brought a low-alcohol, sweet cider bottled mid-fermentation to the final. Third place went to Nekka of Tadami, Fukushima Prefecture, which makes drinks, mainly rice shochu, using only locally grown rice. If you would like to enjoy this story in Europe, ask a specialist sake shop or importer whether they stock Masumi. Checking whether the label mentions No. 7 yeast will reveal something of the brewery’s commitment. The bottle-fermented sparkling sake is best served well chilled in a white wine glass as an aperitif. It is also worth noting that a Nagano cider competed with Masumi for the title. For those familiar with ciders from Normandy or Asturias, comparing them with Japanese fruit drinks adds another pleasure.