A Saké & Tsukemono Tasting- Exploring Balance Through Japanese Brewing & Pickling Traditions

A Tasting Evening of Fermented Balance
🗓 Thursday 25 September
🕖 19:00 – 21:00
📍 Fermenthings, Brussels
💶 €45 per person

Saké is often misunderstood in the West—as a spirit, or a novelty, or something to be thrown back in a tiny cup. But real nihonshu is closer to wine than vodka: a fermented, nuanced, and incredibly food-friendly beverage born from rice, water, and the quiet labor of microbes.

In this intimate tasting session, we’ll explore:

– The fundamentals of sake brewing and classification (junmai, ginjo, namazake…)
– How to taste and appreciate sake across styles—aromatic, dry, aged, and unfiltered
– The art of pairing sake with fermented, seasonal foods

Our pairings will feature tsukemono—the wide world of Japanese pickles, traditionally used to balance a meal, reset the palate, and preserve seasonal bounty. From lightly salted cucumber to deeply fermented roots, tsukemono offer texture, acidity, and umami that beautifully complement sake’s subtle character.

Throughout the evening, we’ll not only taste, but discuss technique and tradition—how sake is made, how tsukemono are prepared, and how these two ancient arts reflect a shared philosophy of fermentation, seasonality, and simplicity.

Whether you’re new to sake or already a fan, this evening will give you a fresh lens through which to sip and savor.

You’ll leave not with jars or bottles (don’t worry, you can buy some after), but with a detailed list of the sakés tasted and a handout of tsukemono recipes, so you can continue the journey at home.