Sasaki

Sasaki Shuzo is a sakagura with an ancient history and alternating fortunes, which in its more than 150 years of existence has gone through both periods of glory and very dark times, such as in 2011, when the Tohoku tsunami destroyed the establishment. It was Shinsuke Sasaki who started selling sake in 1871 in Yuriage, in the port city of Natori, within the Miyagi Prefecture. The brand at the time was known as 'Takarabune Nami no Oto' and since its inception, the aim of the sakagura has been to make sake that is intimately linked to the local culture, using only local rice and water. In 2012, the year after the disastrous tsunami, Sasaki Shuzo resumed sake brewing in a temporary facility, also thanks to the solidarity help of the community. At the end of 2018, the rebuilt premises were reopened and today Kachie Sasaki, a descendant of founder Shinsuke, is at the helm of the sakagura.

For the production of its sake, Sasaki Shuzo uses rice grown in the nearby Sendai Plains, combined with water from underground streams fed by the Natori River, which flows right next to the sakagura. In particular, the rice belongs to the Yamada Nishiki, Omachi, Gin no Iroha, Toyonishiki and Kura no Hana varieties. The grains are also polished up to 40% for the Junmai Daiginjo type and only then are they steamed. Fermentation is entrusted to the Koji mushroom, which carries out the saccharification process, and to different types of yeast, responsible for the actual alcoholic fermentation. The production cycle finally ends with pressing and bottling, and each bottle is then stored at sub-zero temperatures until release to ensure maximum shelf life.

Sasaki Shuzo signature sakes stand out for their strong connection to the land, a character that the Sasaki family has respected since the year sakagura was born. They are expressions of fresh, crystal-clear flavour, endowed with a characteristic umami aftertaste.