AGAINST THE GRAIN
A sake created to raise global appreciation, a gift from Singapore to the world.
our ambition
Sake is amazingly versatile with food yet is often overlooked by the world at large due to its inscrutable nature. NORMAT sought to create an original high-quality sake that could raise global appreciation for this quintessentially Japanese beverage, and to do so in collaboration with a traditional Japanese brewery.
“Impossible!” was the expected and repeated response.
Until we found in Kubiki Shuzo, a dream partner who shared in our belief that tradition and craft needs to be relatable to modern audiences and perspectives in order to thrive.
our process
Everything about AGAINST THE GRAIN was designed to overcome cultural and culinary barriers to its greater enjoyment.
To craft a true original, we first exposed our partners from Kubiki to the amazingly varied cuisines here in Singapore. From there, we built a unique flavour profile and worked with local farmers in Niigata to plant and harvest the famed Koshitanrei and Gohyaku Mangoku rice to be used for our sake.
We could have white-labelled our sake like anyone else. But it wouldn't have been ours.
So we started from the grain up. Working closely with Kubiki Sake Brewing and Kishida Rice Farm, we took part in the choices that shaped our sake, from the rice, water and yeast to the character in every bottle. Because putting our name on sake was never enough. We wanted to make one we could truly call our own.
“From my first sip of sake, I realised its immense potential. AGAINST THE GRAIN breaks the mould of sake being enjoyed with Japanese cuisine only. It is 100% authentic, yet crafted from the grain up for a far more worldy palate.”
— LARRY PEH, FOUNDER
