“Kirin” & “Yauemon” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro

You can taste Kirin, KAETSU SAKE BREWERY CO.,LTD. from Niigata prefecture, and Yauemon, YAMATOGAWA SHUZOTEN Ltd. from Fukushima prefecture.

Kirin (KAETSU SAKE BREWERY CO.,LTD.)

Kaetsu Sake Brewery was found in 1880 in Fukushima prefecture (transferred to Niigata prefecture at 1886). Niigata prefecture is situated opposite position of Tokyo and faced to Japan Sea. Owing to these geographical features, it is very hot in summer and cold and one of the snowiest countries in winter. Niigata prefecture is famous for most delicious table rice “Koshihikari” and very nice domestic Sake.

The brewery is located in Aga-machi where the Agano River and the Tokonami River join and is surrounded by many mountains. Then fogs often gather along those rivers. Such a climate condition gives birth to highest class Sake rice. Moreover water quality is also important in Sake brewing. The brewery has been blessed with an excellent natural spring which water is pure and soft. “Kaetsu brewery Sake is a wonderful gift from nature”.

Mt. Kirinzan stands in the northern part of Aga-machi. The story of “Kirin” of Mt. “Kirinzan” is based on a legendary unicorn. The Kirin unicorn is an imaginary animal that has been said to appear in the sky to prepare auspicious events. Kaetsu Sake Brewery has named their sake “Kirin” with their hope that it will be enjoyed in such a way that brings happiness to the drinkers. The tasting profile of “Kirin” is “Tanrei-Karakuchi “(Clean, Light and Dry in English). “Kirin” Sake is good for every food.

KAETSU SAKE BREWERY CO.,LTD. Home page

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Kaetsu Shuzo Homare Kirin Junmai Daiginjo 下越酒造 ほまれ麒麟 純米大吟醸 720ml 化粧箱付

 

Yauemon (YAMATOGAWA SHUZOTEN Ltd.)

Yamatogawa Shuzoten in located in Kitakata, Fukushima. Since the mid-Edo period in 1790, it has brewed sake for nine generations. Using clear Iide Mountain-sourced water, the generations of brewers have put serious effort and passion into brewing sake such as the Yauemon sake.

Fukushima Prefecture is home to the largest number of award-winning sake brands for the sixth year in a row, marking a record in an annual competition. Of course Yamatogawa Shuzoten is also a multi award-winning brewery.

Naturally filtered water from 2105m Iide Mountain – part of a mountain range that is spread out over the three prefectures of Fukushima, Yamagata, and Niigata – is used to make all the sake at Yamatogawa Shuzoten. This pure water produce Kitakata ramen. It is one of the major remen in Japan with Sapporo ramen, Hakata ramen.

There are more than 100 ramen shops in Kitakata. The noodles are particularly unusual. Ramen noodles tend to be thin and straight, but those in Kitakata are fat and wavy, due to the fact that they used to be delivered – fatter noodles didn’t spoil as easily during transportation. They are also slippery and slightly softer. This is because they are takasuimen, which means that a higher percentage of water is added to the flour. It is fun to slurp and chew.

YAMATOGAWA SHUZOTEN Ltd. Home page

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Yauemon Junmai Daiginjo 純米大吟醸 弥右衛門720ml

DATE AND TIME

2018/10/11 (Thu)~2018/10/17 (Wed) 10:00~20:00

You cannot go? Check out ichibansake Event Calendar

LOCATION

Ikebukuro Tobu Department Store B1F

1 Chome-1-25 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo 171-0021

Google map

Access

Directly connected to “Ikebukuro station”

Web site

For more information visit, 東武百貨店 池袋店 日本酒催事スケジュール

“Kankiku” & “Suisen” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro

You can taste Kankiku, KANKIKU MEIJYO. from Chiba prefecture, and Suisen, Suisen Shuzo from Iwate prefecture.

Kankiku (KANKIKU MEIJYO.)

Kankiku brewery is in Sanmu city, blessed with rich nature and temperate climate in Chiba prefecture. The city is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east. From Tokyo station it takes about one hour by limited express JR Shiosai. It is good distance for you to escape the noise of the city.

In this town, there is beautiful sea. People often come here to surf. In the summer time there are a lot of people want go to sea. There is a bus service that runs time to time from the JR Naruto station to the beach during the months of July and August. These buses run free of charge as long as you are only going to the beach (the first stop).

In this are there are lots of sweet and delicious strawberry farms. In early spring, many people visit to pick strawberries at the farms. Reservation are not required but recommended. You can eat as many strawberries as you want while picking and you pay by the time limit, usually two hours and about 1000yen.

Kankiku brewery is founded in 1884. In the site of the brewery, there is a over 200 year-old persimmon tree. They brew sake with spring water from the root of the tree. It contains high minerals and hard water. It makes powerful fermentation and sake becomes tasteful flavor.

Because summer is off season of sake, the Kankiku owner tried brewing beer for summer. Even Dassai tried brewing beer and failed in beer business, but Kankiku made it with big effort. Now Kankiku’s beer business is stable and also highly reputed.

KANKIKU MEIJYO. Home page



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Kankiku Kujukuri ocean beer 330ml 24 bottles set Koshihikari race Ale寒菊銘醸 九十九里オーシャンビール こしひかりライスエール 330ml ×24本

 

Suisen (Suisen Shuzo)

It was a fateful moment. At 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011, a magnitude-9 earthquake hit eastern Japan, impacting the 24,000-plus residents of Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture.

Minutes later, tsunami more than 10 meters high — at one location 17.6 meters — hit the coastal town, devastating the city’s entire low-lying downtown area.

Suisen Shuzo, a historic sake brewery was preparing to ship its 2010 stock. Without warning, the Great East Japan Earthquake began rumbling off the scenic Iwate coastline. Shortly thereafter, brewery owner sent his employees home for the day to check on and be with their families. Twenty minutes later, a tsunami tore through the city of Rikuzentakata, obliterating the award-winning brewery (nestled two kilometers from the coastline) and tragically taking the lives of seven Suisen employees. The entire town’s foundations were scattered across several kilometers of Japanese countryside.

The process of rebuilding Suisen was not easy. In order for them to quickly get back on their feet, a rival brewery, Iwate Meijo, extended their hand and offered Suisen use of their facility to brew their sake. Meanwhile, construction began on a new brewery, about fifteen kilometers up the coast from Rikuzentakata in the town of Ofunato. In August of 2012, less than eighteen months after the disaster, the new Suisen Shuzo opened.

Suisen Shuzo Home page

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Suisen Daiginjo 酔仙 大吟醸 720ml [岩手県/中辛口]

 

DATE AND TIME

2018/10/10 (Wed)~2018/10/16 (Tue) 10:00~20:00

You cannot go? Check out ichibansake Event Calendar

LOCATION

Seibu Ikebukuro B1F

〒171-0022 Tokyo, Toshima, Minamiikebukuro, 1 Chome−28−1

Google map

Access

Directly connect
Ikebukuro Station South Exit, Exit 38, Exit 36

Web site

For more information visit, 今週の酒と肴

“Nishinomon” & “Harada” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro

You can taste Nishinomon, Yoshinoya from Nagano prefecture, and Harada, Hatsumomiji from Yamaguchi prefecture.

Nishinomon (Yoshinoya)

Yoshinoya Sake Brewery was founded in Kyoto, the business was moved Nagano in 1637. Yoshinoya brewery makes Miso as well, and merely 2 minutes away from Zenkoji Temple which is one of the most important and popular temples in Japan.

Yoshinoya is one of Nagano’s local sake breweries. The sake is produced with local high-quality rice and mountain spring water, creating one of Nagano’s best brews. There is a wide variety of different sorts of sake, as well as Japanese plum wine, their own brand of miso, and non-alcoholic amazake, or sweet sake in English. The best part of visiting Yoshinoya is that you can taste all their produced drinks and foods for free! This is the place to go for sake lovers!

Passing through the Niomon Gate leads to the temple’s shopping street (Nakamise Dori). Here visitors will find a collection of souvenir shops, dealers of buddhist altar fittings, and restaurants. This is an ideal spot to take a break and enjoy treats such as miso flavored ice cream and oyaki dumplings.

If you go to Nagano, don’t miss tasting sake, viewing the brewery and Zenkoji temple.

Yoshinoya Home page



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Harada (Hatsumomiji)

Hatsumomiji is located in Shunan city, Yamaguchi. In the past several years, the light display of industrial complexes have become popular in Japan. You can enjoy the glittering lights of these industrial areas on a night cruise. The Shunan area is famous for this scenery. The Shunan industrial complex is one of the oldest in Japan, with several dozen kilometers of industrial areas facing the gentle waves of the Seto Inland Sea. The flowing smoke from rising smokestacks and illuminated massive tanks and ducts look like something out of a science fiction movie.

Hatsumomiji is founded 1819. However, due to various factors they did not brew sake for 20 years until 2004. They outsourced brewing sake to keep their brand and they did mainly wholesale business. It worked with great efficiency because the brewery is located in the entertainment district.

They restarted brewing sake in 2005. As Hatsumomiji owner won many times in Sake tasting competition in Yamaguchi and also made it to the semi finalist in Japan, he had a confident to make good taste sake. But they did not have equipment and lent the ground floor to an Izakaya at that time.

Most of brewery produce sake from autumn to winter in cold season. However, as Hatsumomiji did not have space, they choose all year round producing style. They use small tanks and small number of people to brew sake. It makes precision control possible, which in turn allows them to brew high-quality sake in small quantities.

Hatsumomiji Home page

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Hatsumomiji Junmai Daiginjo Harada はつもみぢ  純米大吟醸(山田錦) 原田720ml

 

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DATE AND TIME

2018/10/04 (Thu)~2018/10/10 (Wed) 10:00~20:00

You cannot go? Check out ichibansake Event Calendar

LOCATION

Ikebukuro Tobu Department Store B1F

1 Chome-1-25 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo 171-0021

Google map

Access

Directly connected to “Ikebukuro station”

Web site

For more information visit, 東武百貨店 池袋店 日本酒催事スケジュール