The nation’s largest sake celebration takes place at the Honolulu Academy of Arts on Friday, with 270 sakes to taste and appetizers from 14 restaurants to pair with the drinks.

The 2009 U.S. National Sake Appraisal Gold and Silver Award winners will be among the featured sakes.
While there’s more sakes than any one person can taste, some might want to do try the same sake more than one because for the third time Dorothy Feibleman’s elegant translucent nerikomi sake cups will be used to give tasters a greater appreciation of how the same sake can take on a different flavor depending on the type of cup used. Feibleman, an American, is the only foreigner to have taken top awards for her sake cups in Japan.
Joy of Sake runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Buy tickets online at www.honoluluacademy.org in advance for $70 or pay $80 at the door. The academy will receive $20 from each purchased ticket to support its programs. for more information, call 532-6099.