The first words upon holding the never-seen-before small-sized sake in an aluminum can were 'How cute!'"

The first appearance of KURA ONE® in the market was in July 2022 at the "MATSURI" event held in France. Subsequently, tasting events were organized in Germany and North Macedonia, with a total of over 500 people getting their hands on KURA ONE®.

Canned Japanese sake, unlike anything before, captured the curiosity of those who experienced it for the first time, and their initial reactions were unanimously, "It's cute!" The label, with a clean design in black and white, inspired by the main ingredient of sake, "rice," received high praise for its aesthetics. One in three attendees expressed a desire to purchase the product.

Here are some candid comments received from the attendees:

"The can label is modern, with an art-like design that drew my high interest. It's the kind of design that you can't help but take a photo of." (Participant at the event in France)

"I've been subscribing to Japanese sweets (35EUR) for 4-5 years, but I'm interested at this price range." (Participant at the event in France)

"I think it would be wonderful if we could easily buy high-quality Japanese sake. Even in small quantities, it would be very enjoyable to experience the different tastes and aromas of each product." (Participant at the event in France)

"Very good Sake selection and very good can design, I will definitely share this with my friends and colleagues here in Germany and in Japan. I would like to support KURAONE in future when it becomes available." (Chef at the Japanese embassy in Berlin Germany)

"I think this is great, we need more products like KURA ONE® in Europe so people can experience Japanese culture. The design is very beautiful and well thought out and I think there is a chance for this product to succeed if it is supported by the right people. Of course it is not easy at the beginning but once people try they will realize that sake can be a great new find and KURA ONE® can deliver this experience." (Founder of CCP gallery)

"KURA ONE®, such a tasteful experience. With every sip of the KURA ONE® product I felt like I’m unfolding the flavour of Japan. The pleasant scent of this calm and refreshing drink makes you feel warm and inspired. Especially like the Kura One product not only as a ritual but also for everyday dynamic lifestyle. Now I can choose from various types and tastes of Sake and experience different notes of the Japanese culture. Absolutely love the product and i am adding on the top favourite drinks." (Participant at the event in Germany)

"Entering the event with close to zero experience with sake I was quite surprised at the light and fresh taste of my first glass. This reminded me more of a summer white wine than the strong alcohol I somehow expected. As I kept on trying different producers it became apparent to me how different the taste can be and that one really has to try multiple Sakes in order to understand this beverage." (Participant at the event in Germany)

"I did not imagine before that sake would be such an easy drink with only 15% alcohol. This made it much more approachable for me and the tasting made more sense after the introduction to the production process and the resulting astonishing differences in taste. I understood that there is a whole universe of taste to be explored." (Participant at the event in Germany)

"With my sister and another friend visiting from the US, this sake tasting was a great way for me to show the diversity of life in Berlin. A young crowd exploring Japanese culture through the national drink of Sake with an explanation of the context of the beverage in a lighthearted way. To me the most exciting thing about sake is the variety it offers and the opportunity of exploration that it offers. I can imagine that sake has a chance of becoming an “in-drink” in Berlin and spread out to major German cities from here." (Participant at the event in Germany)

KURA ONE® for me was my first contact with premium Japanese sake. Honestly, before trying KURA ONE® and some of the sake that was sent as bottles (the blue bottle), I didn't have a high opinion (generally as an alcoholic drink) because of my previous experience. In 2006, we opened the first sushi restaurant in Macedonia and we were buying sake directly from Thessaloniki Greece, the size was a big barrel of several KG. That sake was not tasty for me personally and I didn't try anything else until we got hold of KURA ONE® and the sake in bottles that were sent for the event in Izlet, which both left a very positive impression. Regarding the KURAONE cans, I would like to share a few more words. Design is superb and on the first look they look very innovative. I think they can be a great option not only for restaurants but also for clubs considering their size 180 ml. (Founder of Izlet cafe, Sektor 909 night club and Balance music production company)

"I was the co-founder of the first Sushi restaurant in Skopje Macedonia along with Ogi, and until trying KURAONE I never knew how good Sake can be. I am interested to offer KURAONE in our bar and also I have a brother who owns a restaurant in Uruguay. He might be interested to also offer it and I would like to support this brand for South America as well starting Uruguay. The design is unseen and attractive and I can imagine people liking it since the taste is great and people always want to try something new." (Founder of Filharmonija Bar, serial entrepreneur)

"It was an educative added value because I might have tried Sake before one or two times before but I was convinced that it was a hard alcohol. It was interesting to learn about the different types of Sake, the process and the various flavors. The tasting of these different types of Sake was unique and opened my understanding for this beverage. The combination of tasting and explanation reminded me of the experience in the Napa Valley where you get explanations of the specific Sake and you can really start understanding what is behind this product." (Participant at the event in North Macedonia)

"I did not know a lot about this drink before and thought that is a strong spirit. I have tried it before but did not really pay attention to the taste and also never had the opportunity to taste different ones within a short period of time. The event blew my mind on the topic of how different these Sakes tasted. I have to say that this turned me into a sake fan. I really liked it in a pure fashion but also tried mixing it with sparkling water which was a whole different and refreshing experience. I would even say this is better than Champagne to me personally. All in all an exciting new experience." (Participant at the event in North Macedonia)

"I have been a great admirer of Japanese sake and Japanese culture ever since I first visited Japan many years ago. Since then I keep coming back to it. When Covid appeared I had more time to explore personal interests and hobbies and even before that I started collecting sake and now I have my own personal collection of various Sake that I have found in Japan and outside of Japan. Through my work, I met the first importer of Sake in Spain and also discovered an old childhood friend who deals and trades out of Luxemburg with sake for the whole of Europe. I think KURA ONE® is a really interesting concept - providing a variety of premium Sake in a well designed can.” (Participant at the event in North Macedonia)