The potential of sake as a pairing drink for dining far beyond Japanese food has been touted by sommeliers for some time and is arguably reaching full power. Certainly, you could call a sake collaboration with Alain Ducasse a zenith without too much fear of contradiction.

Shichiken sake CEO and brewmaster Tsushima Kitahara has collaborated with the star-bedecked French chef in the creation of some exclusive bottlings, which will be among the drinks served at a series of dinners at Ducasse restaurants worldwide, culminating in an event at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester on Tuesday 5 November.

This “journey of sake and gastronomy” is making its way through Alain Ducasse restaurants in Tokyo, Bangkok, Naples, Monte Carlo and Paris before reaching London. The sake dinner menu will be crafted by Jean-Philippe Blondet, chef patron at the three-Michelin-star Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, and head chef Alberto Gobbo. Theirs is arguably the most contemporary take on Ducasse’s philosophy of bringing fresh brightness to time-tested French cuisine principles.

The menu pairings include sparkling Shichiken Yamanokasumi (“mountain mist”) served with langoustine, kohlrabi, Granny Smith apple and fresh herbs, followed by a junmaï daïginjo (high-quality sake made with highly polished rice) with veal fillet and sweetbread, wild mushrooms, fermented shallots and oxalis.

The two exclusive drinks are the Shichiken x Alain Ducasse Sparkling Sake and Alain Ducasse Sustainable Spirit, a subtle shochu infused with brewing lees from sake-making, before being aged briefly in a whisky cask from Suntory’s Hakushu distillery, which is also located in the mountains west of Tokyo. These will be paired, respectively, with Perroche cheese with red plum and shiso condiment; then an Alain Ducasse favourite, baba-au-rhum, Monte Carlo-style.

Of his relationship with the Yamanashi Meijo Company, which brews Shichiken sake, Ducasse says, ‘My attachment to Japan and its terroirs led me to meet the Kitahara family four years ago. The Yamanashi region is one of the areas closest to my heart, not only for the richness of its products but also for the wonderful people I have met there.’

Shichiken was established in 1750, so has an immense heritage (and its parent company’s name is a reference to the Emperor Meiji, who was such a fan, he stayed a night at the brewery in 1880). But Kitahara believes this series of dinners is another important landmark: ‘This world tour is meaningful for the future of Japanese sake… to elevate sake to a new stage, demonstrating its versatility and potential when paired with global French cuisine.’

The Shichiken dinner at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester on Park Lane, on the evening of 5 November is priced at £430 per guest, plus service; enquiries via the reservations team (tel: +44 20 7629 8866; email: alainducassereservations@alainducasse-dorchester.com).

alainducasse-dorchester.com