Andre Bishop
Australia’s Official Sake Ambassador
With fifteen years of experience promoting sake and Japanese beverages, Andre Bishop is recognised as Australia’s leading authority on sake. He is a well-respected authority and educator who shares his passion for sake with others with the vision to encourage more Australians to discover the joys of sake and Japanese culture in general.
His first venue Robot, a Japanese style bar and café quickly became an icon in the Melbourne boutique bar scene and was instrumental in the early vision of bringing sake out of the confines of the Japanese restaurant in Australia and introducing it to the broader drinking public.
In 2005 Andre co-opened Golden Monkey, a distinguished cocktail bar in the heart of Melbourne’s Hardware lane dinning precinct. Within its first year Golden Monkey set the standard for modern bars in Australia and in 2006 was awarded “Best New Bar in Australia” by the Australian Bar industry advocate Bartender Magazine. In 2007 Golden Monkey was recognized for its continued outstanding achievements and was honored with winning “Best Bar in Australia”. In 2009 Golden Monkey was awarded “Best Bar in Australia” a second time.
Andre also saved Melbourne’s Japanese dinning institution Izakaya Chuji from closure. The first site, opening in 1989 now has a 25-year history. Andre acquired the original Lonsdale Street location in 2003 and opened up a second store in South Melbourne in 2008.
As a further commitment to the promotion of sake Andre opened Nihonshu in 2008, Australia’s first dedicated sake and shochu bar offering a diverse selection of sake including nihonshu, shochu, umeshu, yuzushu, awamori and boutique Japanese beers.
Drawing from his study of sake in Tokyo, Japan, Andre is currently holds a Level 2 Sake Professional Certification awarded by the Sake Education Council in Tokyo, Japan. Andre regularly travels to Japan and has visited many sake breweries to improve his understanding of sake and its production.
Recognised by the industry and peers as an expert in Japanese culture and dining Andre Bishop was invited by the Melbourne International Food & Wine Festival to sold-out Sake Tasting Events at the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015 festivals.
Most recently Andre has opened the multi ward winning Izakaya and Sake Bar Kumo, as a showcase venue with one of the largest sake lists in Australia. He also created his sake education and consulting business, Sakemaster.com.au. He has also been interviewed by NHK TV World for a story on the rising popularity of sake and Izakaya in Australia that was aired in Japan, February 2011
In February 2015, Andre was featured in a 10 minute special on sake growth in Australia for TV TOKYO’s Zipangu business feature. It was the highest rating segment of the 1 hour special.
Andre is the Sake Ambassador for Australia’s biggest online Sake retailer www.sakeonline.com.au and regularly writes sake reviews, sake education articles and brewery visit reviews.
In August 2013, Andre was inaugurated as a Sake Samurai in Kyoto, Japan. This prestigious title has only been bestowed to a handful of non-Japanese sake experts around the world and is the highest honour awarded by the Japanese sake industry.
In 2014 Andre was made an honorary Visit Kyoto Ambassador by the Kyoto Prefectural Government.
Awards
Personal
Inauguration as Sake Samurai
11 October 2013 – Shimogamo Jinja Temple, Kyoto
Shochu Ambassador Certificate
7 September 2013 – Kumamoto Shochu Manufacturers Association
Inauguration as Visit Kyoto Ambassador
8 May 2014 – Tofuku-ji Temple, Kyoto
Golden Monkey Bar
Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards
Winner – Australia’s New Bar of the Year 2006
Winner – Australia’s Bar of the Year 2007
Winner – Australia’s Bar of the Year 2009
Nihonshu Sake & Shochu Bar
Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards
Finalist – Best Small Bar 2010
Kumo Izakaya and Sake Bar
Gourmet Traveller Australia
Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards 2012 3 Wine Glasses (Highest Rating)
Victorian Restaurant & Catering Association
Winner Best Japanese Restaurant – 2012 Savour Australia™ Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence
Finalist Best Japanese Restaurant – 2013 Savour Australia™ Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence
Finalist Best Japanese Restaurant – 2014 Savour Australia™ Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence
Certification
Sake Professional Course Level 2 Tokyo, Japan 2008
Sake Professional Course Level 1 Tokyo, Japan, 2007
Major presentations and articles
Australian Bartender Magazine
Sake Postcards – Two Part Sake Brewery visit story in July & August 2012 Issues
Australian Bar Show
22 September 2010 – Sydney
Guest Speaker – Sake education and presentation to Australian bartenders and press as part the hospitality industries premier trade convention
Consulate General of Japan in Melbourne – For Tohoku’s Sake
16 February 2011
Guest Speaker – Special presentation to Restaurateurs and Press on the history of sake in Australia. In Attendance – Mr Koichi Saura, CEO of Urakasumi Breweries, Mr Kazunari Shata, Vice-President of Tengumai Breweries, and Mr Keisuke Irie, Sake Samurai
Australian Bar Show
24 September 2012 – Sydney
Guest Speaker – Sake presentation and tastings to Australian bartenders and press as part of the Hospitality industries premier trade convention
Australian National Homebrewing Conference
25 October – 27 October 2012
Sake production seminar presented to delegates.
Sake Export Presentation
25 February 2014 – Kurashiki Town Hall, Okayama Prefecture
Engaged as a consultant by the Okayama prefecture to present a lecture to local sake producers concerning export market potential.
Australian Nation Broadcasting Station ABC
Saturday 16 August 2014 9:45AM
Half hour interview on Australian National radio with celebrity chef Tetsuya Wakuda about sake in Australia
Australian Bartender Magazine
The Rise of Sake – October 2014 Issue
Story on the rise of sake in Australia and a review of the visit to sake breweries in Kurashiki.
Melbourne Immigration Museum
Sake Tasting Masterclass February 2015
Presented a sold out sake class for the Melbourne Immigration Museum
Melbourne Immigration Museum
Sake Pop-up February 2015
Organised and curated a sake pop-up bar as part of the museums Courtyard Cantina multicultural food and beverage expo.
The Art of Sake
Japan Consul-General Residence Sydney, Australia March 2015
Guest speaker at the “Art of Sake” presentation hosted by the Japanese Consul-General in Sydney, Australia. Gave a 30 minute lecture on sake production, food matching and the future of sake in Australia.