Around the world, the sound of popping corks brings just one thing to mind — Champagne. However, a new organization of sake producers is working to tweak that image.

Launched last year, the Japan Awasake Association consists of nine brewers who are committed to raising the quality of sparkling sake — a category more closely associated with simple, low-alcohol styles than elegant brews — to a level that can compete with France's most beloved prestige beverage. In April, the JAA's effervescent offerings were on display at a tasting at the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Tokyo.

The association takes its name from awa, the Japanese word for "foam" or "bubbles." The group deliberately chose it to distinguish their products from the other varieties of sparkling sake on the market. "We want to create a role for sparkling sake as a luxury drink to be enjoyed on special occasions," says Shuzo Nagai, JAA chair and president of Nagai Brewing Company, which produces the Mizubasho brand in Gunma Prefecture.