Which Airline Has the Best Sake in the Skies?
For those who like to travel to Japan, you'll most likely find yourself flying either All Nippon Airways (ANA) or Japan Airlines (JAL). If you like to keep your onboard beverage authentic, you'll most likely be drinking sake.
Sake is a Japanese alcoholic beverage derived from fermented rice that can be served warm or cold (or on two chopsticks over a Natty light, if you're a college student) and is considered a menu staple for both airlines. ANA and JAL both have sommelier-curated sake menus that change based on seasonality and a pretty wide selection of offerings.
But which airline serves the best sake?
To find out, we consulted the London-based Sake Sommelier Association. Xavier Chapelou, SSA founder, and his team first took a look at JAL's menu.
In 2017, JAL developed its drink menu in collaboration with two wine experts, Kenichi Ohashi, holder of the prestigious Master of Wine qualification, and Motohiro Okoshi, a former sommelier turned first wine taster in Japan who was tasked with pairing the wines with JAL’s inflight meals. The development of the sake side of the menu, however, is a little bit more ambiguous.
JAL says that it will "provide a wide selection of top Japanese sake from across Japan, ranging from emerging brands to rare brands," but the selection process is currently unknown. However, some notable offerings include Zaku, Touyoubizin as well as sweet potato shochu (distilled liquor) choices such as Tomino Hozan and Naka Naka.
Yet — according to the SSA, JAL wasn't quite the winner. "The JAL list undoubtedly features some fine and famous sake," said an SSA spokesperson to TPG. "However, as sake connoisseurs, it was the ANA list that was of more interest to Xavier and our team."
ANA recently revamped its sake menu. In collaboration with renowned sake sommelier Yasuyuki Kitahara, the airline added 36 new Japanese sakes to its menu (19 for inflight and 17 for lounges). It now offers a total of 44 Japanese sakes to passengers. According to an ANA press release, the menu has been "carefully curated to appeal to avid sake lovers as those who may be trying sake for the first time." Some notable names that appear on the menu include Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute, Jigon, Nabeshima and Denshu.
The SSA seems to approve of these changes. "Our team had the impression that a lot of thought had gone into creating a diverse and exciting list with a fine collection of premium and super premium sake," said the SSA spokesperson. "It was also the pleasure of some of our team to see bottles from breweries that they had visited during their studies with the SSA (Ishizuchi Shuzo and Hakkaisan breweries have featured on the syllabus of our ‘Advanced Sake Sommelier’ courses – a course that gives sake sommeliers from around the world the opportunity to learn under the guidance of Toji at sake breweries in Japan)."
All in all, the SSA found that ANA had a "wide selection of prefectures and types of sake featured looks to provide a rich and enjoyable experience for any amateur connoisseur of sake." Therefore, ANA is the winner in the competition of best sake in the skies.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.