JETRO promotes wagyu and sake in Baltimore, USA
In the US alcohol market, said to be more than 15 times the size of Japan's, JETRO held an event conveying the appeal of sake through pairings with wagyu.
JETRO (the Japan External Trade Organization), Japan’s public trade promotion agency, held a sake seminar and a pairing event matching sake with wagyu beef in Baltimore, a port city in Maryland on the US East Coast. The event was reported on 6 April 2026 in JETRO’s news service, “Business Briefs”, and is an attempt to bring American consumers who are not yet familiar with sake closer to it through both knowledge and experience.
Sake explained from the perspective of North American brewers
The seminar was led by a director of the Sake Brewers Association of North America, an organisation that connects breweries making sake in North America. Rather than having someone sent from Japan do the explaining, people involved in sake production in North America spoke in their own words. The aim appears to be to make sake feel like a familiar choice rather than a rare drink from a distant country.
Presenting sake as a drink for the table, alongside wagyu
After the seminar, a pairing of wagyu and sake took place. The qualities of sake that are hard to convey through explanations of grades and brewing methods alone are easier to appreciate when tasted with food. Behind this lies the size of the US market: the American alcoholic drinks market is said to be more than 15 times that of Japan, and JETRO aims to raise awareness of sake and widen demand. It can be seen as an effort to introduce sake as a drink to enjoy with meals, in an enormous market where wine and beer are part of everyday life.
If you want to try it in Europe
The same way of enjoying sake is easy to try in European homes too. With grilled or roast beef rich in fat, a sake with pronounced umami, such as junmai-shu, which is made only from rice, rice koji and water, can sometimes work well. Gently warming it may also complement the sweetness of the fat. With a light starter, one idea is to serve chilled ginjo-shu, a fragrant sake brewed with rice polished from the outside to 60% or less of its original weight. If importers or restaurants hold tastings or pairing events, try combining sake with your local dishes. It is a good opportunity to see how the “with food” approach now advancing in the US can work at European tables.
Sources
This article was written by The Sake Wire editorial team, summarising the public sources listed above. Images are our own.
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