Imbibe 75 Person to Watch: Kiki Austin

It was a post-karate-class drink with a friend in Brooklyn where Kiki Austin had her first taste of sake. That curiosity bloomed into a full-time career, and today, Austin—the sake sommelier at Mujō, a Michelin-star Japanese restaurant in Atlanta—is excited to contribute to the greatly under-reported Black sake scene in the United States. “Black people are already in the [sake] industry, we just need to highlight them and their great work,” Austin says. “That will encourage other Black people to be more curious about sake and get into the industry.”

Austin embarked on her educational journey into the world of spirits through the Culinary Institute of America. A move to Atlanta and back-of-house restaurant work pulled Austin’s curiosity in the direction of sommelier training. When the pandemic forced a pivot, Austin took a job in wine retail that serendipitously served to further her sake education. In the years that followed, Austin became a Certified Japanese Sake Advisor while also working as a sommelier in fine-dining establishments like Empire State South and then Piedmont Driving Club.

While Austin is currently one of a handful of Gen Z sommeliers, she actively encourages others to enter the industry, willingly sharing resources and answering questions. “Explore what you’re curious about,” she says. “Go to your local shop, ask about tastings or education opportunities. …Hit up your local library or bookstore and grab a book about sake or wine.”

Click here to read more about some of 2025’s other Imbibe 75 People and Places to Watch.