“Kikusakari” & “Hiraizumi” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro

You can taste Kikusakari, Kiuchi Brewery Inc. from Ibaraki prefecture, and Hiraizumi, Hiraizumi Honpo from Akita prefecture.

Kikusakari (Kiuchi Brewery Inc.)

Kiuchi Sake brewery was established in 1823 by Gihei Kiuchi who was the village headman of Kounosu village, Naka County.

The water that gives life to KIKUSAKARI, is natural spring water from the well in our sake brewery. This water is soft water (close to medium hardness) which does not contain iron, organic matter etc. – the inhibitors of fermentation. There is a place named SAKAIDE about 1 kilometre east from our sake brewery, where there is an old legend that sake gushed out of a well there.

The plateau of Naka where Kiuchi Brewery is located is land rich in water and greenery between Kuji River – famous for its sweetfish – in the east and Naka River – famous for its salmon – in the west. Delicious sake was almost certainly brewed with this good quality water from long ago.

In recent years, their sake has been brewed with the young sensibility and original techniques of our master brewer while also continuing to use their inherited traditional techniques of Nanbu-Toji. By fusing the spirit of tradition and enterprise, they also challenge the new and the unconventional. They work every day by trial and error to brew a Japanese Sake that will be loved worldwide. The sake brewers of Kiuchi Brewery are also following their dreams.

Tasting at home by amazon

Kikusakari Junmai Ginjo【菊盛】 純米吟醸 720ml

Kiuchi Brewery Inc. Home page

Buying proxy service (Goods from Japanese online shops and auctions). Buy from Japan with Zenmarket.Jp!

  • Check your country’s customs duties and postal method’s size/weight restrictions in advance.
  • Choose EMS.
  • ATTENTION – Due to recent updates to the Japan Post terms they can no longer ship bottles with an alcohol content of higher than 24%. They can also no longer ship to countries where import is restricted, such as USA and Canada, regardless of the alcohol content. Please check the International Mail conditions for your intended destination. (2018/09)

 

Hiraizumi (Hiraizumi Honpo)

Brewery History and Background:
They are Akita’s oldest and even in Japan 3rd oldest brewery, having been founded in 1487 in the middle of the Muromachi era. Originally, the company was a wholesaler of goods sent by ship, with sake brewing just a side business. But in the early Meiji period, sake brewing became the main business. We have since then been staunchly brewing sake in the old yamahai-shikomi method. Our current brewery dates from 1883.

Origins of the name:
The name is a combination of the name of the business when we were a wholesaler, Izumiya, and the name of the immediate region, Hirasawa, and was shortened from “Hirasawa Izumi no Sake.” Also, there is the theory that a local painter sent our sake to Monk Ryokan of the Echigo region, calling it “jumping, good, white water,” and the name and characters are a play on that expression.

Hiraizumi is Gold Prize winning sake in the Annual Japan Sake Awards 2015.

Tasting at home by amazon

Hiraizumi Junmai Ginjo 飛良泉 純米吟醸酒 720ml

Hiraizumi Honpo Home page

Buying proxy service (Goods from Japanese online shops and auctions). Buy from Japan with Zenmarket.Jp!

  • Check your country’s customs duties and postal method’s size/weight restrictions in advance.
  • Choose EMS.
  • ATTENTION – Due to recent updates to the Japan Post terms they can no longer ship bottles with an alcohol content of higher than 24%. They can also no longer ship to countries where import is restricted, such as USA and Canada, regardless of the alcohol content. Please check the International Mail conditions for your intended destination. (2018/09)

DATE AND TIME

2018/09/12 (Wed)~2018/09/18 (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

“Amanoto” & “Aizuhomare” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro

You can taste Amanoto, Asamai Shuzo from Akita prefecture, and Aizuhomare, Homare Sake Brewery Co.,Ltd. from Fukushima prefecture.

Amanoto (Asamai Shuzo)

Founded in 1917. Asamai Shuzo is located in center of the Yokote Basin in southern Akita Prefecture. Yokote Basin is known in Japan as an area of heavy snowfall, and for agricultural products, mainly rice, but also for apples and asparagus, etc. In Yokote city itself has got 5 sake breweries.

The major ingredient of sake, rice, differs from region to region, but breweries tended to use both local rice and rice from other regions, the difference between various regions’ rice varieties has not been given much thought. Recently, however, the sake industry has been increasingly favoring local rice and therefore creating regional differences in sake. This requires an increased interest in the way that growing conditions affect the rice and, therefore, the regional expression of each sake.

Asamai Shuzo takes their sake rice seriously. They brew sake from only by local rice within 5 km from their brewery site. Since 2011 they produce only Junmai sake, which is sake made from only rice, water, yeast, and koji. Sake brewing process is more complicated than wine’s one and 80% of sake is water, because of that it is not very significant characteristic of terroir as much as wine. But Asamai Shuzo’s sake is a kind of sake “terroir”.

Tasting at home by amazon

Amanoto Junmai Daiginjo45 天の戸 純米大吟醸45 720ml 1本 【秋田県】

Asamai Shuzo Home page

 

Aizuhomare (Homare Sake Brewery Co.,Ltd.)

Founded in 1918. Homare Sake Brewery marked the 100th anniversary in September 2018. It is located in Kitakata.

Kitakata is a small town, surrounded by mountains and rice fields in the Aizu region of Fukushima prefecture. Renowned for its traditional storehouses, kura, and ramen, it also boasts eleven sake breweries. Strolling around town, these are easily identifiable from large balls of cedar hanging outside, known as sugidama or sakabayashi, which mark the production of a new sake. When the green needles turn brown, it’s said that the sake has aged enough to be ready for drinking.

The natural geography of Kitakata, and indeed the entire Aizu region, lends itself to the production of high quality sake. The cold climate allows a slower fermentation process and rice has plenty of growing space. Crucially, though, there’s an abundance of water from nearby Mount Iide. This is soft water, which also slows the fermentation process, yielding a sweeter taste.

Fukushima prefecture has become one of the most acclaimed sake-producing regions in Japan. FUKUSHIMA – Fukushima Prefecture was home to the largest number of award-winning sake brands for the sixth year in a row, marking a record in an annual competition, the National Research Institute of Brewing in 2018.

Tasting at home by amazon

Aizuhomare Junmai Daiginjo Kiwami 会津ほまれ純米大吟醸 極 720ml [福島県/中辛口]

 

Homare Sake Brewery Co.,Ltd. Home page

DATE AND TIME

2018/09/13 (Thu)~2018/09/19 (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

“Dewazakura” & “Matsunokotobuki” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro

You can taste Dewazakura, DEWAZAKURA SAKE BREWERY CO.,LTD from Yamagata prefecture, and Matsunokotobuki, Matsui Breweries Co Ltd. from Tochigi prefecture.

Dewazakura (DEWAZAKURA SAKE BREWERY CO.,LTD)

Dewazakura Sake Brewery was founded in 1892. It is is located in Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture. Tendo city is in the middle of Yamagata Prefecture. Situated in between mountains, it’s the perfect place for a quick getaway from a big city like Tokyo. If you’re planning to visit the Tohoku region, this is a perfect place to start. If you like soba, beef, delicious fruits and Shogi (Japanese chess- Tendo is the main producer in the whole country), Tendo is your perfect getaway destination.

Situated in the Yamagata Basin and surrounded by high mountains, Tendo City is hot in summer, often exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, and in the winter can receive considerable snowfall, often exceeding one meter in depth. These natural features, including the climate, have made the region a major production center of rice, fruits and other products. Using this great rice, they have been making sake by hand. For example, they use small tanks enough to handle manually. It makes precision temperature control possible, which in turn allows us to brew high-quality sake in small quantities.

Since the Edo era, Tendo has played an important role in the production and manufacture of Japanese “Shogi” chess pieces. Many events and games are organized through the year to celebrate the traditional game. The most famous is in spring when people dress up as human chess pieces for “Ningen Shogi” and play the game out on a human scale. Sit amongst the blooming trees and watch the human pieces play out games of Shogi.

Why don’t you watching “Ningen Shogi” while tasting Sake?

Tasting at home by amazon

Dewazakura Oka Ginjo 出羽桜酒造 出羽桜(でわざくら) 桜花 吟醸酒 720ml

DEWAZAKURA SAKE BREWERY CO.,LTD Home page

Matsunokotobuki (Matsui Breweries Co Ltd.)

Shioya is a town located in near Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, in the northern Kanto region of Japan. Matsui Breweries is founded in 1865.

There is Shoujinzawa in Shioya district. It is famous for the beautiful stream and beautiful water spring. Shoujinzawa spring water is selected as one of the 100 exquisite and well conserved waters of Japan and the spring water representing Tochigi Prefecture. The temperature of the water is constant, around 11℃ even in summer. It is good spot to take a mystical photo in Shoujinzawa. Bring your tripod and camera with you and you can capture the sun light-beams through the trees in summer early morning.

On the hill behind the brewery also springs out natural water. It is super soft water. They use the water for brewing sake which makes their sake soft texture and fresh aroma.

Matsuno kotobuki Junmai ginjo Omachi is warded a Platinum medal in the Junmai Daiginjo & Junmai Ginjo category at the Kura Master 2018.

Tasting at home by amazon

Matsunokotobuki Junmai 松の寿 純米酒 720ml 1本

 

Matsui Breweries Co Ltd. Home page

DATE AND TIME

2018/09/06 (Thu)~2018/09/12 (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