Five years ago, Larry Peh, the founder of branding agency &Larry, had a spark of inspiration while enjoying Dassai sake after dinner. “Dassai stands for otter festival in Japanese,” he laughs, “I thought how wonderful if an otter could swim across the ocean and deliver the best sake to me.”
Frustrated by the lack of sake options for pairing with his favourite dishes, Peh’s whimsical idea became a serious business venture during the pandemic when he finally launched his sake brand, Normat.
Named after his lifestyle collective, Normat was conceived as a versatile brand that could complement both local and international cuisines in Singapore. The journey, however, wasn’t without challenges. Peh’s cold emails to sake brands went unanswered, and Japanese associations questioned his determination to make his own sake. Nevertheless,
he persevered.
Finally, in 2022, he connected with breweries run by younger generations, who were open to his ideas. Produced in Niigata, Normat Against the Grain sake comes in two expressions, Junmai Daiginjo and Tokubetsu Junmai.
“My goal was to make Normat easy to appreciate for new drinkers while impressing experts at the same time,” says Peh, who has two President’s Design Awards. “In that respect, we decided to stick with established naming conventions, like Junmai Daiginjo, and combine it with Against the Grain. It is also a nod to how we respect time-honoured traditions, while continuously pushing the envelope.”
Normat sake is made from rice varieties planted at Kishida Rice Farm located at the base of Mt. Yoneyama in Joetsu City. Regarded as sacred by the locals, the mountain is believed to be a guardian of the residents, animals, and rich harvests, Peh emphasises, “The sake benefits greatly from the area’s pristine water, fertile soil, and abundant sunlight.”
Junmai Daiginjo is brewed with Koshitanrei rice and pure mountain water. This gives it a mellow, fruity aroma and a sweet umami balance with a silky, snow-like finish. According to Peh, it’s perfect on its own or paired with a wide variety of culinary delights.
Tokubetsu Junmai, on the other hand, features a rare combination of Gohyakumangoku and Tsukiakari rice for a smooth, velvety texture. With a refined umami, light acidity, and long aftertaste, it has an elegant, fruity aroma.
Peh tells us that the Normat Against the Grain sakes, available at the brand’s website, go well with everything from Thai fusion to neo-Indian dishes. With confidence, he says, “I’ll let you decide after trying our sake with both local braised duck rice and Peking duck.” No more food pairing dilemmas? We’ll kanpai to that.
