GUEST
Giulia – an Italian Sake Brewer and Sommelier
Giulia is the founder of GiGi Sake, a sake brewing company and also is educating individuals about the uniqueness of sake. Originally from Italy, she first visited Japan over 10 years ago and fell in love with the country during her travels to popular sightseeing spots like Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara. She now lives in Japan, working mostly as a sake brewer and certified sake sommelier.
Why did we reach out to Giulia?
In a previous episode of our podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting a talented chef living in Kyoto. By the end of our chat, she shared an exciting recommendation with us—a friend and fellow expat who has been making waves in a unique field: the world of sake. Thanks to her introduction, we will introduce another interesting episode, introducing life in Japan from a foreigner’s perspective. This guest is particularly deep into the art of sake, carving out a name for herself, and sharing her cultural discoveries along the way. Join us as we explore how she’s contributing to and learning from this ancient Japanese tradition, all while adding her own flavor to the industry.
What we talked about:
Giulia’s journey into the world of sake began with initial disinterest and a negative perception. Her early experiences involved a random hot alcoholic beverage in Italy, which she didn’t recognize or even know how to drink. However, this changed one day when she found herself in a traditional ramen shop, surrounded by older men enjoying sake. This sparked her curiosity, prompting her to learn more about the drink and eventually fall in love with sake culture.
Driven by this newfound passion, Giulia took a bold step during the COVID-19 pandemic to reevaluate her career. She decided to start her own company, GiGi Sake, with the goal of educating others about sake and sharing her appreciation for it.
Diving deep into the sake brewing process, Giulia described the physically demanding work involved in creating Japanese sake, especially during Japan’s coldest months, and in some places, year-round. Additionally, working in what many would consider a male-dominated industry, we talked about the unique challenges of navigating in the workplace as a foreigner.
Last, we discussed the trends shaping the sake industry in Japan. With younger generations consuming less sake, the industry is trying to make innovative changes with options like sparkling and fruity varieties with lower alcohol content.
