[Kitakata, Fukushima Prefecture] Kitakata, where the water is delicious, not only has ramen but also a lot of delicious sake! Introducing recommended sake breweries

  • ikoke
  • Last updated: 2023.05.26

 

I think everyone knows Kitakata as ``ramen.''
There are many delicious ramen restaurants all over the city, each with their own unique characteristics.

One of the secrets to the deliciousness of ramen water, which is essential .
I think it's safe to say that we benefit from underground water from Mt. Iide, where it snows even in summer

The giving birth to many sake breweries in Kitakata

We will introduce the sake breweries that produce such delicious sake.

delicious water and delicious sake

Water plays an important role in sake brewing, and the Iide Mountain Range has so much snow that it can be seen even in summer.The underground water from the Iide Mountain Range is soft and has a very good balance of minerals, supporting Kitakata's delicious sake. .

Kitakata City was originally a place with many storehouses, and people would say things that would be considered taboo today, such as, ``If a man is 40 and can't build a storehouse, he's not a man.''

Due to the nature of the area, the number of sake breweries increased.

Kitakata sake brewery introduction

The list below is in no particular order.
(Unfortunately, I did not select the top 10.)

[Yoshinokawa Sake Brewery]

Our representative Junmaishu is made entirely from Gohyakumangoku rice grown in Kitakata .
It is a smooth and easy-drinking sake with a good balance of sweetness and sourness.

This sake is handmade using koji and a traditional koshiki (a large steamer used to steam rice for sake) . However, 98% of the sales volume is only in the local Kitakata, so it may be difficult to obtain in other areas.

[Homare Sake Brewery]

Aizu Homare ``Kiwami'' is a reasonably priced Junmai Daiginjo that you can drink luxuriously at home.
When you put it in your mouth, a gorgeous aroma spreads out, and it has a soft and gentle taste.

You can enjoy sake, liqueurs, shochu, etc. at ``Unreian,'' located in the Japanese garden adjacent to the sake brewery.

Although it is a popular everyday sake because it is reasonably priced, there are some amazing sakes as well. We also have a high-quality sake with a dry and refreshing taste called ``Junmai Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki,'' which won the world championship in 2015

[Kiyokawa Shoten】

Founded 380 years ago, it is the oldest sake brewery in Kitakata.

The way it is decorated is unique and stylish.

Sake brewery tours are always available, and of course you can sample sake.Let me sample the water used for preparation (super soft water).It seems that he will give it to me.

There are currently various restrictions, so please check in advance regarding tastings etc.

[Yumeshin Sake Brewery]

Dreamy! Just hearing the name makes me feel tipsy!

Established in 1891, the concept is "always different, always unchanging sake."
A sake brewery with roots in Kitakata, using only rice and yeast produced in Fukushima Prefecture.is.

[Mine no Yuki Sake Brewery]

Mine no Yuki Sake Brewery is said to have taken its name from the haiku poem ``Shiho no Harunun Rantari Mine no Yuki.''

Among the snow peaks, the most talked about and famous ones are:Mead (alcohol made from honey).
We produce sake made from honey, which is said to be the oldest alcoholic beverage in the world.

I definitely want to try this honey-based sake, which I have never heard of anywhere else.

[Ohara Sake Brewery]

Here at Ohara Sake BreweryIt has become a hot topic for fermenting sake while listening to classical music.

Music sake, which grew up listening to Mozart, is highly rated as a delicious, fragrant sake with a strong rice flavor and yellowish color.

[Yamatogawa Sake Brewery]

Among Kitakata, which has many sake breweries, this brewery has a long history, having been founded in 1987.

We are particular about rice cultivation, and use rice grown in-house to brew sake.

light tastePopular for light sparkling sakeIt seems that.

Although it is a long-established sake brewery, it also focuses on wine making. We are particular about natural farming methods (no fertilizers or pesticides) and continue to challenge ourselves to grow grapes for wine.

[Kitanohana Sake Brewery]

The youngest sake brewery in Kitakata CityThe company was founded in 1918.

Currently, the baton has just been passed from the third generation to the fourth generation, and the company has become even more youthful.

This is a super dry sake that has a thick but refreshing taste.

[Sasa Masamune Sake Brewery]

The current brewery is in its 8th generation and was founded in 1818, making it a historic brewery.

The representative brand, ``Sasama Samune,'' is a well-balanced sake with a good aroma, sweetness, and mouthfeel.

This brewery is very popular for its turbid sake . Due to the nature of nigori sake, it seems that it is only available for a limited time.

Although the alcohol content is modest for a cloudy sake, it is popular because it has a strong flavor.

[Aizu Nishiki]

Aizu Nishiki Sake Brewery is attracting attention for its sake named after dialects.

dialects that are familiar in the Aizu region are used as representative brands, such as "Najosunbe" and "Koderansho". doing .

*Each sake brewery may be currently suspending tastings due to infectious disease prevention measures.

History of sake in Kitakata

Kitakata City is located in the northern part of the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture, and an ideal place for sake brewing, blessed with underground water (delicious water) from Mt. Iide, where snow remains even in summer . It is famous nationwide as a town of warehouses.

It is said that sake brewing began around 1631 (Kanei 8) using this abundant and delicious water.

Delicious sake is made using underground water, which is perfect for brewing sake, and rice grown on fertile land.
Perhaps it is because of this location that sake brewing has spread.

Why are there so many storehouses in Kitakata?

The reason why there are so many storehouses in Kitakata is as I mentioned at the beginning, ``A man in his 40s doesn't even own one...'', but another reason seems to be the great fire of 1891.

Many houses were destroyed by the fire, but the storehouse remained standing in the ruins. For this reason, preserved the storehouses that protected important things from the flames

still in active use as sake breweries and miso breweries , and some are open to the public for tours.

summary

Kitakata is one of the top brewery towns in Japan in terms of the number of sake breweries relative to the population, and at its peak there were as many as 100 sake breweries. (Currently, there are about 30 items. I have introduced 10 of them.)

Kitakata produces many delicious sakes that have won championships in world competitions.

The city is also attracting attention for its sake brewing, which takes advantage of its unique characteristics, such as the mysterious sake that is sold almost exclusively within the city and is hard to taste anywhere else, and the sake breweries that continue to take on the challenge of making wine.

We also recommend visiting the sake breweries after eating ramen!
Why not try the unique sake from each brewery?

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