Demand for their sakes currently exceeds production capabilities. One significant achievement is that they’ve been able to convert non-sake drinkers. “Eighty per cent of our customer base are not even sake fans,” Oh said.
The community they’ve built is extremely supportive. Last year, when Oh and Yamamoto could not afford the S$400 entry fee for the Tokyo Sake Challenge, a supporter offered to sponsor them because, as Oh put it, “she believed in us before anyone else did”.
Another friend hand-carried their entries to Japan. “We didn’t even have a bottle-cap sealer or proper bottles. Half of the entries leaked into his bag,” Oh recalled. Despite the mishap, Tropic – then only the second batch they had made – won a silver medal. “That award really helped get us recognition,” he said, paving the way for further investment and crowdfunding.
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