Alcohol

[Kitakata, Fukushima Prefecture] Kitakata, with its delicious water, is not only famous for its ramen but also for its delicious sake! Introducing recommended sake breweries

  • ikoke ikoke
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When you think of Kitakata, everyone probably thinks of "ramen."
There are many delicious ramen shops all over town, each with its own unique style.

One of the secrets to the deliciousness of ramenthe water, which is essential.
there is snow even in summerthe groundwater that flows from Mount Iide, whereIt's fair to say that they benefit from

Thisdelicious spring water was also used in sake brewing, leading to the establishment of many sake breweries in Kitakata.

We will introduce you to the sake breweries that produce such delicious sake

Delicious water and delicious sake

Water plays a crucial role in sake brewing. The Iide mountain range, which still bears snow even in summer, producesgroundwater that is soft and has an excellent balance of minerals, supporting the delicious sake of Kitakata.

Kitakata City was originally a place with many storehouses"If a man is 40 and hasn't built a single storehouse, he's not a real man," which, and people used to say things like,

Perhaps due to the nature of the area, the number of breweries, or sake breweries, has increased

Introducing the sake breweries in Kitakata

The list below is in no particular order.
(It was difficult to choose a top 10, so I didn't select a single best list.)

[Yoshinokawa Sake Brewery]

Our flagship junmai sakeuses 100% Gohyakumangoku rice from Kitakata.
It has a well-balanced sweetness and acidity, and is a smooth, easy-to-drink sake.

a handmade sake using koji and a traditional koshiki (a large steamer used to steam rice for sake production). However, 98% of its sales are in Kitakata, its local area, so it may be difficult to find in other regions.

[Homare Sake Brewery]

Aizu Homare "Kiwami" is a reasonably priced Junmai Daiginjo sake that can be enjoyed luxuriously at home.
It is characterized by a gorgeous aroma that spreads in the mouth and a soft, gentle taste.

You can enjoy sake, liqueurs, shochu, and more at Unreian, located in the Japanese garden adjacent to the sake brewery

While it's a reasonably priced and popular everyday drink, there are some truly exceptional sakes out there. For example,the "Junmai Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki," which won the world championshipIt's a high-end sake with a dry and crisp taste.

[Kiyokawa Shoten】

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

The decoration is unique and stylish

You can visit the brewery at any time and sample the sake, of courseWe also had the opportunity to taste the water used for brewing (ultra-soft water)Apparently they will give it to you

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

[Yumeshin Brewery]

Yumeshin! Just hearing the name makes me feel tipsy!

Founded in 1877, the brewery's concept is "always different, always unchanging sake."
A sake brewery rooted in Kitakata that uses rice and yeast from Fukushima Prefectureis

[Mine no Yuki Sake Brewery]

Mine no Yuki Sake Brewery is said to have taken its name from the haiku poem "Spring clouds on all sides, snow on the peaks."

Among the snow peaks, the most talked about and famous isThis is mead (an alcoholic beverage made from honey).
We produce mead from honey, which is said to be the world's oldest alcoholic beverage.

I would love to try this honey-based liquor, which I haven't heard of much elsewhere

[Obara Sake Brewery]

Here at Obara Sake BreweryIt is currently attracting attention for its sake brewing process, which involves listening to classical music while the sake is fermented

Music Sake, which was developed while listening to Mozart, has been highly praised as a delicious, fragrant sake with a strong rice flavor and a yellowish color

[Yamatogawa Sake Brewery]

Even among the many sake breweries in Kitakata, this is a historic brewery that was founded in 1795

We are particular about rice cultivation and use our own cultivated rice to make sake

Light mouthfeelLightly sparkling sake is popularIt seems so

Although it is a long-established sake brewery, it also focuses on winemaking, and continues to take on the challenge of growing grapes for wine, focusing on natural farming methods (no fertilizers or pesticides)

[Kitanohana Brewery]

The youngest sake brewery in Kitakata CityThe company was founded in 1919

Currently, the company has just handed over the baton from the third generation to the fourth generation, making it even younger

It is a very dry sake that is thick but refreshing to drink

[Sasa Masamune Sake Brewery]

The current owner is the eighth generation of the brewery, which was founded in 1818 and has a long history

Their representative brand, "Sasa Samune," is an excellently balanced sake with a good aroma, sweetness, and smooth mouthfeel

This brewery is very popular for its cloudy sake. Due to the nature of cloudy sake, it seems to be sold only for a limited time.

Although it has a low alcohol content for a cloudy sake, it is a popular sake because it has a strong, rich flavor

[Aizu Nishiki]

Aizu Nishiki Brewery has been attracting attention for its sake named after local dialects

The image shows "Sasukene," which means "Don't worry about it," or "There's no problem." Other examples include "Najosunbe" and "Koderansho," allfamiliar dialects from the Aizu region, which are used as the brand's signature phrases.

*Each brewery may be currently suspending tastings due to infection control measures

The history of sake in Kitakata

Kitakata City is located in the northern part of the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture andblessed with groundwater (delicious water) from Mt. Iide, where snow remains even in summer, making it an ideal location for sake brewing. It is famous throughout Japan as a town of sake breweries.

It is said that sake brewing using this abundant, delicious water began around 1631 (Kan'ei 8)

Delicious sake is made using groundwater ideal for brewing and rice grown in fertile land.
It is precisely because of the land that sake brewing has spread.

Why are there so many storehouses in Kitakata?

As mentioned at the beginning, there are many storehouses in Kitakata, and while this is one reason why "a man of 40 already owns a storehouse...", another reason seems to be the great fire of 1880

Many houses were burned down in the great fire, but the storehouses stood firm amidst the burnt-out ruins. This shows thatthe people of Kitakata cherished and carefully preserved these storehouses, which had protected their precious possessions from the flames.

todayMany breweries still operate, and some even open their doors to the public for tours.

summary

Kitakata is one of the top sake brewery towns in Japan in terms of the number of sake breweries relative to the population, and at its peak it is said to have had as many as 100 sake breweries (there are currently around 30, of which we have introduced 10)

Kitakata's sake has produced many delicious sakes, some of which have even won championships at world competitions

The city is also notable for its unique sake brewing, with some elusive sakes sold almost exclusively within the city and difficult to find elsewhere, and breweries continuing to venture into winemaking

I also recommend visiting sake breweries after enjoying some ramen!
Why not try the unique sakes offered by each brewery?

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