[Iwate Prefecture] What is Asakai? Introducing new ways to enjoy sake from a long-established sake brewery in Iwate

Asa Kai is a long-established sake brewery run by Nanbu Toji (master brewer) Masahiko Fujio, who was selected as a Contemporary Master Craftsman by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2005, so many sake lovers have likely tried their sake at least once.

In this article, we will introduce some fun stories that will make this long-established restaurant, Asakai, a little more familiar to you

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Asakai ?

Asakai was founded in 1871 when Genzo Murai, the seventh generation samurai of the Nanbu clan, gave up his samurai status and began brewing sake in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture

It is said that as the samurai class began anew as merchants and the new Meiji era began, the brewery was named after the phrase "Asa-biraki," a pillow word for a poem in the Manyoshu, about a ship setting out early in the morning

With a history of awards including a gold medal at the 2021 National New Sake Tasting Competition, the brewery has the image of being an intimidating, long-established brewery, but it brews a wide variety of sake to meet diversifying needs based on the principles outlined : 1) koji, 2) moto (starter), and 3) mash

Another notable feature of the website is that, to make it easy to understand even for sake novices, the alcohol content, rice polishing ratio, sake meter value, and recommended drinking method and temperature for each sake are clearly stated

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Morning Break <Information>

• Name: Asakai Co., Ltd
• Address: 10-34 Daijijicho, Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture
• Phone number: 019-652-3111
• Official URL: Asakai Co., Ltd. official website
• Business hours: 9:00-18:00 (brewery tour and local sake museum)
• Holidays: Irregular

Google Map

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Introducing episodes that will make you feel closer to Asakai

I found three stories that will make Asakai feel closer to you, so I'd like to share them with you

[1] The tasting set is fun

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Asakai has its own "Gensanya" , and its tasting sets are extremely popular, especially on Rakuten Ichiba, where they have consistently ranked in the annual rankings since 2007.

There are sets ranging from five 300ml trial bottles perfect for quick sips to larger sets of eight 720ml 4-go bottles, so there is a range of sizes to suit everyone from sake beginners to serious sake lovers

There are also tasting sets that focus on flavor, such as a set of "Suijin," which is famous for being very dry among Asakai sakes, and a set of unpasteurized sake, so you can find a tasting set that suits your needs

If you are trying Asakai sake for the first time, we recommend purchasing the tasting set first

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[Part 2] Making cooking sake

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Did you know that Asakai not only produces sake for drinking, but also for cooking?

Asakai's cooking sake is called "Junmai Cooking Sake Bizen Kensho" and is made from Hitomebore rice grown in Iwate Prefecture without relying on additives such as salt

One of the steps in the sake production process, making moromi, involves a step-by-step process in which koji and steamed rice are added to the shubo or moto, which was made in the previous process

Normally, brewing is done in three stages, but what makes "Junmai Cooking Sake Bizen Kensho" unique is that it is brewed in five stages, which increases the amount of amino acids that are the source of umami

Authentic cooking sake made in a sake brewery brings out the umami of the ingredients

When drinking Asa Kai, it would be a stylish way to make snacks using Junmai Cooking Sake Bizen Kensho

[3] Making shochu

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When we think of shochu, we tend to think of it as something made by specialized shochu manufacturers, but there are also several breweries that make rice shochu using the advanced techniques used in sake brewing, and Asa Kai is one of them

Asakai's shochu is made by re-fermenting and distilling fresh ginjo sake lees within one week of transferring the ginjo sake to the tank, so it can truly be said to be a shochu born from sake

We recommend drinking it chilled or on the rocks, as you can enjoy the fragrant aroma of the ginjo lees

summary

Asakai is a long-established sake brewery led by Nanbu Toji (master brewer) Masahiko Fujio. We learned that their commitment to producing sake that meets the needs of their customers has led them to continue offering a wide variety of sake that can be enjoyed by many people

Please use this article as a reference and find a way to enjoy Asakai that suits you

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