Sake makes parliamentary debut in U.K.

LONDON (Kyodo) Sake made its way into the British Parliament on Wednesday as the House of Lords gave the opening of a new session a twist to commemorate a landmark anniversary of bilateral relations.

New brew: Koichi Saura (left) of the Japan Sake Brewers Association and Lord Pearson of Rannoch open a barrel of sake at a party held in the House of Lords in London on Wednesday. KYODO PHOTO

At a party hosted by the House of Lords, around 200 British lawmakers and other participants indulged in a taste of sake, which Japanese brewers hope will challenge the dominance of champagne and wine at party tables in Britain.

"The reaction I got here was beyond what I had expected," said Koichi Saura, a board member of the Japan Sake Brewers Association, who provided sake brewed in Miyagi and Toyama prefectures.

The event was part of the 150th anniversary of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce.