For 20 years, Artisan SakeMaker has helped define Canadian sake in Vancouver through local ingredients, education, and innovative sake experiences on Granville Island.
Founded by Masataka Shiroki and Yukiko Shiroki, the Vancouver sake winery continues pushing Canadian sake culture forward.
This year, the company celebrates with a limited-edition anniversary bottle, expanded tasting experiences, and new BC rice initiatives.
Canadian Sake in Vancouver Continues to Evolve
Artisan SakeMaker launched with a simple mission: help Canadians experience sake differently.
Their OSAKE collection focuses on aroma, acidity, texture, and food pairing inspired by West Coast dining culture.
Masa Shiroki wanted guests to approach sake with the same curiosity people bring to wine.
Today, the company also operates CMC Sake + Wine Merchants, connecting Canadian restaurants and retailers with premium Japanese sake and shochu.
Sake & Tapas Central Expands the Granville Island Experience
In 2025, Artisan SakeMaker opened Sake & Tapas Central beside the sake-making facility on Granville Island.
The tasting room serves OSAKE flights, sake cocktails, imported sake tastings, and Japanese-inspired small plates.
Menu highlights include Wagyu Meatballs, Octopus Carpaccio, and signature rice bowls paired with sake.
A custom communal table filled with 1,000 cups of rice anchors the space.
Yukiko Shiroki says the tasting room encourages guests to explore sake without intimidation.
BC Rice Shapes the Future of Canadian Sake
Artisan SakeMaker also invests in BC-grown rice for future Canadian sake production.
The company developed trial rice plots that eventually expanded into Abbotsford growing sites.
These projects support crop diversification, climate adaptation, and sustainable agriculture in British Columbia.
The company now explores dry upland rice trials designed for Canadian growing conditions.
Beyond Sake: Rice, Fermentation, and Local Collaboration
Artisan SakeMaker collaborates with chefs, restaurants, breweries, and food producers across Canada.
Restaurants including Burdock & Co., Tojo’s Restaurant, and The Acorn use its rice and sake kasu products.
The company also partners with Steel & Oak Brewing Co. and Coconama Chocolate on collaborative products.
Its skincare brand, Orizée, uses fermented rice ingredients inspired by East Asian beauty traditions.
Watch Parties and Summer Sake on Granville Island
This summer, Sake & Tapas Central joins Granville Island’s watch party programming with sake flights, cocktails, rice bowls, and takeout options.
Guests can enjoy food and sake before or after matches while exploring Granville Island’s public gathering spaces.
Twenty years later, Artisan SakeMaker continues shaping the future of Canadian sake in Vancouver through innovation, hospitality, and local agriculture.
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