Benihana Inc., the nation’s leading operator of Japanese theme and sushi restaurants, has been given the Gold Award at the 2011 U.S. National Sake Appraisal for its Sho Chiku Bai Classic brand. Sho Chiku Bai Classicis brewed by Takara Sake USA Inc. and is bottled and labeled as “Benihana Sake” for the restaurant’s house sake brand.
Benihana’s house sake competed against 96 contenders in the Junmai category at the international contest and received the Gold Award alongside 26 other entries, the highest award in the Junmai category. Sho Chiku Bai Classic is the only sake made in the U.S. to win the Gold Award this year. The sake was judged amongst its competing beverages by a “blind” tasting conducted in two phases; first, a tasting for all entries and then a secondary tasting of those sakes that placed in the top 50 percent.
The U.S. National Sake Appraisal is an international annual event held since 2001 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Presented by the International Sake Association (Kokusai Sake Kai), the event evaluates 326 sake entries and is the largest event of its kind outside of Japan. Each entry is considered within the following categories: Daiginjo, Ginjo and Junmai. The Appraisal is conducted by ten judges (five from Japan and five from the U.S.) under the auspices of the Japan National Research Institute of Brewing, which has supervised Japan’s National Sake Appraisal since its inception in 1910.
Benihana offers an extensive variety of the traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage at their restaurants, including hot sake, Japanese premium cold sake, premium cold sake and sake flights. There are also specialty drinks available such as the White Peach Sake Sangria and Mango Saketini, both mixed drinks with sake inspiration.