Those attending will be able to taste the full spectrum of sake styles in the junmai, ginjo, daiginjo and kimoto categories, including recipients of silver and gold awards from the U.S. National Sake Appraisal, a rigorous blind tasting conducted by 10 judges from the U.S. and Japan held every year in Honolulu prior to The Joy of Sake..

The U.S. National Sake Appraisal in Honolulu and the Joy of Sake events in all three locations are sponsored by the International Sake Association.

Top restaurants serve appetizers to complement the sakes, featuring a variety of cuisines from Japanese and pan-Asian to American and French. In a first for the Honolulu event this year, appetizers will be grouped next to the tasting tables for the sakes they best complement, with light, delicate dishes next to the ginjo and daiginjo sakes; Japanese-style "comfort food" for the junmai selections and meaty, full-flavored appetizers to go with the kimoto sakes on display.

The Joy of Sake traveled to San Francisco for the first time in 2003 and to New York in 2004. It has been held in each city every year since 2004.

The event will be held tomorrow, August 23, at the Hawai'i Convention Center. Tickets are $65 in advance, $70 at the door (if available) and may be ordered online at www.joyofsake.com or by calling 739-1000.