I was born into a German winemaking family. Vineyards, cellars, the rhythm of harvests and vintages – these were part of my childhood. Wine was tradition, culture, and identity. But my own path eventually led me far beyond the vineyards of Germany – to Japan.

I spent nine years living and working there as an international attorney in technology, but also as a curious explorer of Japanese daily life. Food, drink, festivals, encounters – in all of it, I discovered the soul and heart of Japan. And at the center of it stood sake – and the people who make it, serve it, and celebrate it.
Sake became more than just a drink to me. I wanted to understand why it tastes different with the seasons, how it pairs with food, and how it is made. So I went deeper: visiting more than thirty breweries across Japan, also joined in the brewing process, sweating, tasting, and learning. Alongside this, I began running sake and modern German food pairing events and educational tastings. Not only the theory – but the practice of the modern sake landscape.

Taught by the very best in Japan, I earned my WSET Level 3 Award in Sake in Tokyo, was trained at the prestigious Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association’s (JSS) Academy, and studied under John Gauntner with the Sake Education Council, where I achieved both the Certified and Advanced Sake Professional titles. I further deepened my expertise as a Sake Scholar with Sake Samurai Michael Tremblay, before joining the Sake Sommelier Association (SSA) directly at the highest level as a Master Sake Sommelier.
But my journey owes just as much to the sake bar and restaurant owners in Japan, their guests, my sake friends, and the national and international sake community that welcomed me, taught me, and shared their passion. Without them, my knowledge would not carry the same depth of lived experience and personal connection.
My passion for sake has also taken me onto the judging panels of respected competitions: in Japan at the Fine Sake Award and Kan Sake Award, and in Europe as judge at the Milano Sake Challenge and Head Judge of the Luxembourg Sake Challenge.
With AGED-SAKE.DE, I founded the first company in Europe dedicated exclusively to aged sake, ranging from 3 to 30 years. These matured treasures, for me, are a bridge between Japanese tradition and European taste: just like fine wine in the cellar, sake develops over time, revealing depth, complexity, and unique stories.
Today, I host workshops, tastings, and professional events in Munich and beyond – from intimate pairings for enthusiasts to seminars for the hospitality industry, including training sessions for the B2B audience for the National Tax Agency of Japan (NTA). My mission is clear: to make sake come alive in Europe – as a drink, as a culture, as a bridge between worlds.
Happy to teach you all of this from my experience with Japan and Sake.
And perhaps, the next time you raise a glass of sake, you too will feel part of this journey: from the rice fields of Japan to the heart of Munich.
Kanpai – to life, to encounters, and to the fascination of sake.

— Kai Dräger Esq.