“Tamanohikari” & “Kinryo” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro

You can taste Tamanohikari, TAMANOHIKARI Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. from Kyoto prefecture, and Kinryo, NISHINOKINRYO CORP. from Kagawa prefecture.

Tamanohikari (TAMANOHIKARI Sake Brewing Co., Ltd.)

A district in southern Kyoto that’s most known for Fushimi Inari Shrine and its endless red torii (gates), the area also has an abundance of underground water rich in potassium and calcium — perfect for making sake. As Fushimi developed into a castle town after Toyotomi Hideyoshi began constructing his own nearby, sake breweries opened to take advantage of the high-quality water and increasing population. By the mid-1600s, there were more than 80 breweries in the area. Now there are 17 sake breweries and Tamanohikari Sake Brewing is located in here as well.

Water for Sake in Fushimi Kyoto all come from this silent shrine, Gokonomiya. Since 862 Gokonomiya Shrine has been famous for its natural spring water, which was said to have a particularly pleasant aroma. The water is said to have both healing and protective qualities, and of course it is considered one of the top 100 natural water sources in the country.

Take a Jukkokubune, or flat-bottomed boat, down the river that winds through the small town. These boats once transported nihonshu (sake) and rice to Osaka and now provide an ideal vantage point from which to see the old breweries. You can enjoy the scenery of the sake breweries from the water.

You can taste 17 breweries sake at once in Fushimi Sakagura Kouji (Fushimi Sake Village). As soon as you enter the bar, the first one you will find Fushimi Brand sake is displayed in front of 23m long standing bar counter. You shouldn’t miss the delicious foods there as well.

If you are in Kyoto November, 17th. Don’t miss Sake Matsuri in Fushimi in Otesuji st.

Ticket is here.
http://eplus.jp/sys/T1U14P0010843P006001P002271413P0030001

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Tasting Kyoto sake set Tamanohikari and more 300ml 5 bottles【金賞受賞酒】ギフト 京都 酒蔵厳選 日本酒 飲み比べ セット300ml 5本 玉乃光 他

TAMANOHIKARI Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. Home page

Kinryo (NISHINOKINRYO CORP.)

Founded in 1658. Kinryo is located in Kotohira, one of Japan’s most culturally rich towns. Kotohira is a town located in Nakatado District, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The town is best known as the site of Shikoku’s largest shrine complex, the Kotohira Shrine (popularly known as Konpira-san).

It stands at over 500m above sea level, halfway up Mount Zozu. To reach the shrine you have to climb an extremely long path, which comprises of 1,368 steps. The area around the shrine is crowded with many shops such as cafes, teahouses, souvenir shops and udon restaurants. You can rent a walking stick and go for a stroll or take a ride in a “kago” palanquin and enjoy the sights as you are carried around. Once you reach the top there are places to rest and eat. The views from the top are great too.

Kinryo has three main storage houses. The second storage house faces the ‘Sandoguchi’ (main approach to the Kotohira shrine). This facility is approximately 2900m2. The Kinryo Museum has been created here so visitors can see in detail how the original manufacturing facility worked. The walls have been kept white to recreate the true atmosphere of the sake producing rooms. Visitors leave a vivid image of the original sake production at Kinryo after viewing all ancient sake making tools, genuine exhibits, life size models, audio visual information, a sake tasting opportunity and a relaxing rest under the shade of an 800 years old camphor tree.

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Kirameki Kinryo Junmai Daiginjo 煌金陵 純米大吟醸 720ml

NISHINOKINRYO CORP. Home page

DATE AND TIME

2018/08/29 (Wed)~2018/09/04 (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

“Ginrei Gassan” & “Hatsuhinode” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro

You can taste Ginrei Gassan, GASSAN SAKE BREWERYCO.,LTD from Yamagata prefecture, and Hatsuhinode, Haneda Shuzo from Kyoto prefecture.

Ginrei Gassan (GASSAN SAKE BREWERY CO.,LTD)

Gassan sake brewery is located in Sagae, Yamagata.

Yamagata Prefecture is situated on the Sea of Japan side of Japan’s Tohoku region. Located approximately 300 km north of Tokyo, it can be reached in about three hours via the Yamagata Shinkansen.

Sagae is a small town situated in the middle of Yamagata Prefecture, and is most famous for its delicious, homegrown cherries. It is accounting for 70% of Japan’s national production.

Meltwater from Mount Gassan, the highest peak of the Three Mountains of Dewa, filters down in a process that takes 300 to 400 years, emerging at the foot where the brewery is located.

It is not unusual to hear people say, “Yamagata sake are delicious.” So what makes them so good? There are many reasons. The first is Yamagata’s climate. The prefecture is known for its pure waters flowing from the surrounding mountains, high-quality rice, and severely cold winters, all of which are necessary for the brewing of delicious sake.

Moreover, Yamagata has an abundant supply of renowned mineral waters flowing from Mt. Chokai, Mt. Asahi, Mt. Chokai, and other nearby mountains. Each mountain range produces water with its own qualities, and this allows Yamagata to produce a rich variety of highly unique sake.

And lastly, there is the role that Yamagata’s brewers play in producing delicious sake. Almost all who are involved in Yamagata’s sake brewing were born in the prefecture, a characteristic that is quite rare nationally. The devotion and passion of these artisans have made Yamagata sake among the very best in Japan.

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銀嶺月山 月山の雪 純米吟醸 Ginrei Gassan Junmai ginjo Gassan No Yuki1.8L【山形県/月山酒造】

Awarded a Platinum Medal in the Junmai Daiginjo & Junmai Ginjo category at the Kura Master 2018.

GASSAN SAKE BREWERY CO.,LTD Home page

 

Hatsuhinode (Haneda Shuzo)

Haneda Shuzo was established in 1893 as a brewer of junmai and honjozo sake. This brewery is located about an hour’s drive north-west of the centre of Kyoto, within the Kitayama mountains.

The rural atmosphere of the mountainous area of north has its unique characteristics. It is said that the clear, crisp flavors of Haneda’s sake reflect the dense forests and pure waters of the brewery’s surrounding landscape.

The rivers flowing in the east side of brewery are Kami Katsura (upstream of Katsura River) and Yuge River and Hosono River which flow out of Kami Katsura River. In early summer you can see fireflies which means the river is clean and not polluted by agricultural pesticides or synthetic detergent. It is also a great spot for Ayu Fishing in summer time.

Water is the most important ingredient for the production of sake. One of famous brewing water in Kyoto, Fushimi’s underground water contains the perfect amount of minerals, making it a medium hard water (80mg/L – 90mg/L), which gives sake a smooth, soft and mellow texture. On the other hand, Kami Katsura River’s underground water contains higher mineral (130mg/L). This hard water makes Haneda’s sake rich flavor and crisp finish.

Tasting at home by amazon

初日の出 純米吟醸原酒 六友(リクユウ)Hatsuhinode Junmai ginjo genshu Rikuyuu720ml

DATE AND TIME

2018/08/23 (Thu)~2018/08/29 (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

“Mansaku no Hana” & “Tama no Hikari” In-store tasting event @ Ikebukuro

You can taste Mansaku no Hana, Hinomaru Jozo Co., Ltd. from Akita prefecture, and Tama no Hikari, TAMANOHIKARI Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. from Kyoto prefecture.

Mansaku no Hana (Hinomaru Jozo Co., Ltd. )

Hinomaru Jozo is located in Masudamachi, in Yokote city in the picturesque snow country of Akita, Japan. Akita has long, harsh, snowy winters. In the height of the winter season, Hinomaru Jozo’s touji (sake master) Ryoji Takahashi can be found with his hands buried deep in cold, mashed rice, preparing it for fermentation.

Like many older breweries and distilleries, Hinomaru Jozo follows traditions that date back to when it was first founded almost 330 years ago, in 1689. Something the Hinomaru Brewery is proud of is the usage of the “rising sun” imagery, 200 years prior to its official association with the Japanese flag and government. The logo and name were created by the feudal leader of the region at the time: Lord Satake.

But there is more to a distillery than a name and a logo. Their motto, coupling “quality first” with “challenging spirit,” reflects the rigorous process involved in concocting the perfect sake mix. Still to this day, everything is done by hand: the rice growing, harvesting, mashing, steaming, transferring, and bottling. One of the key elements that helps Hinomaru’s sake stand out is the usage of small, 1.8-liter bottles to store and age the sake, as opposed to more common practice of storing and aging sake in massive, 500 to 1000–liter barrels at other breweries. There is no better example of Hinomaru’s quality nihonshu than the Mansakuno Hana brand: named for the mansakuno flower and created to commemorate a popular NHK TV drama that was set in Akita, it can be found at restaurants around the world. An even more refined variety of this sake is the Mansakuno Hana Daiginjo, whose beautiful pale gold color matches its fruity aroma—like that of apples or pears.

The Akita snow is a crucial indirect ingredient: keeping the building cold and frosty creates a specific flavor and texture known only to Hinomaru’s brand-name sake. A crisp, sweet, fruity winter taste dominates their flavor profiles, and complements the famous sour pickled vegetables of the north. Winter in Akita is suddenly much less cold when it’s paired with a bottle of sake from Hinomaru Jozo.

Hinomaru Jozo Co., Ltd. Home page

 


 

Tama no Hikari (TAMANOHIKARI Sake Brewing Co., Ltd.)

Established 1673. Tamanohikari was one of the first breweries in Japan to popularize junmai sake in the 1960s. This was cutting edge and risky at the time—junmai sake consumes 1.8 times the amount of rice compared to non-junmai varieties and this was being introduced to a customer base not familiar with the benefits. Furthermore, Tamanohikari primarily use bizen-omachi, yamadanishiki, and iwai rice for their sake. These are all more expensive, rarer breeds of rice strains.

Because Tamanohikari is made only with rice, water, and koji, our commitment to rice is extraordinary. Each spring we visit the locations where our rice is produced. Our employees put on long boots and stand next to the rice planting farmers. We only use rice that meets our one-of-a-kind strict standards. Nothing else that.

Half a century has passed since Tamanohikari revived the tradition of junmai pure rice sake. Today more and more people appreciate the quality of junmai and ginjo pure sake. But still, you could look all over Japan and you will find only a handful of breweries dedicated to the making of junmai ginjyo and junmai dai-ginjo. As one of Japan’s only junmai ginjo breweries, we will continue to uphold the traditions of years past here in Fushimi, Kyoto, and simply make the best possible sake.

TAMANOHIKARI Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. Home page

DATE AND TIME

2018/6/21 (Thu) – 6/27 (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