Move over champagne, a new Parisian sake brand may soon be the toast of the luxury market. HeavenSake was envisioned by businessman and sake connoisseur Carl Hirschmann five years ago. ‘Drinking acidic wines, champagnes or sodas was problematic for me,’ he explains. ‘I discovered that Junmai Daiginjo sake [a pure type of sake, with no added alcohol] was three times less acidic than wine, so I stuck to sake.’ Hirschmann then partnered with publisher Benjamin Eymere and Etienne Russo, founder of fashion show production company Villa Eugénie, to launch his own brand.
HeavenSake is a Franco-Japanese collaboration, developed with Japanese sake producer Dassai and Régis Camus, winemaker of the Piper-Heidsieck champagne house since 1994. Camus visited the Dassai factory in Yamaguchi prefecture, where the launch blend, HeavenSake Junmai Daiginjo, is produced, and immersed himself in the sake-making processes. The blend’s fragrance is a composition of lily, iris, lilac, hyacinth and jasmine as well as herbal notes, while the taste is suave and fruity. In the champagne monopoly of art and fashion events, the drink is set to pose a novel alternative.
Hirschmann, Eymere and Russo developed the sleek, black bottle. ‘Sake is water-based, and its alcohol level is close to wine or champagne,’ notes Russo. ‘We wanted the bottle to reflect these elements: the purity of water, the agelessness of wine and the character of champagne.’
As for the tongue-in-cheek name, the goal was to be memorable but also explain the brand’s core values: ‘One imagines heaven as pure, light, beautiful, elegant and inaccessible,’ says Russo. ‘What more does a luxury brand want?’
As originally featured in the May 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*206)
HeavenSake was envisioned by businessman and sake connoisseur Carl Hirschmann five years ago, after he became tired of the influx of acidic wines and champagne. Pictured: the different rice grains used in HeavenSake's production
HeavenSake in production, at the Dassai factory in Yamaguchi prefecture
Hirschmann, Eymere and Russo developed the sleek, black bottle. Russo notes, ‘Sake is water-based, and its alcohol level is close to wine or champagne. We wanted the bottle to reflect these elements: the purity of water, the agelessness of wine and the character of champagne’
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the HeavenSake website
-
The mash-up between Mercedes and Geely continues with the multi-functional smart #5The new smart #5 is a mid-size electric SUV that promises an overload of features wrapped up in a stylish shell
-
What to see at Milan Design Week 2025We bring you a running guide to some of the events the Wallpaper* team is looking forward to at Milan Design Week (7–13 April) – from public installations and major launches to standout venues and must-see exhibitions. Stay tuned for updates...
-
Inside Loro Piana’s extraordinary first exhibition in Shanghai, celebrating a century of craftScarlett Conlon travels to Shanghai to explore ‘If You Know, You Know: Loro Piana’s Quest for Excellence’, a showstopping new exhibition from the Italian fashion house curated by Judith Clark, spanning clothing, heirloom fabric, art and local craft
-
Toklas’ own-label wine is a synergy of art, taste and ‘elevated simplicity’Toklas, a London restaurant and bakery, have added another string to its bow ( and menu) with a trio of cuvées with limited-edition designs
-
Château Galoupet is teaching the world how to drink more responsiblyFrom reviving an endangered Provençal ecosystem to revisiting wine packaging, Château Galoupet aims to transform winemaking from terroir to bottle
-
London’s most refreshing summer cocktail destinationsCool down in the sweltering city with a visit to London’s summer cocktail destinations
-
Learn how to curate a simple cheese board with perfect port pairingsThe experts at artisan cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield share tips for curating a simple but sophisticated cheese board, with port and cheese pairings for every taste
-
IWA sake brewery by Kengo Kuma is Best Roofscape: Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022IWA sake brewery in Japan, by Kengo Kuma & Associates, scoops Best Roofscape at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022
-
The Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery by Neri & Hu offers a twist on Chinese traditionNeri & Hu designs headquarters for The Chuan Malt Whisky Distillery in China's Sichuan province
-
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel opens Booking Office 1869 restaurantBooking Office 1869 restaurant, at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, is set to become a new London hotspot. Developer Harry Handelsman and designer Hugo Toro tell us about its creation
-
Sweet Sauternes: France’s forgotten wine gets a reputational makeoverSaskia de Rothschild is on a mission to revive the popularity of Sauternes white wine, with Rieussec, produced and packaged with a fresh, more sustainable approach
