Traditional Kimoto Brewing, Fermented with New Sensibilities
Breathing new life into traditional production methods, which account for only 1% of the total.
Toji (Sake Master Brewer) Maho Otsuka
Traditional "Kimoto brewing" accounts for only about 1% of the total sake distribution volume.
This is because it is an "inefficient" brewing method that takes several times more time and effort than modern methods.
The female master brewer of our brewery inherited this difficult technique.
Why does she choose Kimoto?
It is to maximize the power of the rice and create a unique deep umami and crispness.
The inherited traditional techniques are combined with refined modern sensibilities.
It is neither simply old nor simply new.
Kimoto method sake
Blessings of the Northern Alps
Omachi - A Water Wonderland
The Japanese Alps, Japan's roof. Nestled at the foot of these majestic mountains, Omachi City is a special place, a source of water, where peaks reaching 3,000 meters rise in succession.
Located at the uppermost reaches of the Shinano River system, pure snowmelt permeates the earth and gushes forth through nature's filter—a truly miraculous water source.
At Ichinoya, we employ a method of using three different types of water for our sake brewing.
#1 "Northern Alps Natural Water"
"Northern Alps Natural Water" is snowmelt from the Northern Alps, filtered over a long period of time and emerging through layers of granite and metamorphic rock.
AW Water Co., Ltd., our partner, draws this exquisite natural water from 200 meters underground and, under strict quality control, bottles it as bottled water. They have received the Grand Gold Medal at the Monde Selection for three consecutive years, a testament to its globally recognized quality.
We draw this natural water for every batch of brewing, combining it with traditional techniques to elevate it into a fragrant and deep sake that maximizes the characteristics of Northern Alps Natural Water.
A new history is forged as two passions born in the same town intertwine. Please enjoy this supreme cup, blessed by the bounty of this land.
#2 "Kurobe Ice Bamboo Water"
Kurobe Hyojun-sui is natural water that sprang from the fractured zone of the Kansai Electric Power Tunnel, which was opened as a transportation route during the construction of Kurobe Dam.
It is collected at an altitude of 1,560m in the heart of the Hida Mountains, which span Nagano and Toyama prefectures, and is a crystal-clear water with outstanding transparency.
This water was named "Hyojun-sui" because it has the same properties as "hyojun" (ice bamboo shoots), the mysterious ice that forms naturally in the Kurobe caves.
It is a special water, rare in Japan, that is medium-hard (hardness 140) yet easy to drink and rich in minerals.
This bounty from the heavens has brought a new dimension to Ichinoya's sake brewing, resulting in sake with a rich, lingering flavor.
#3 "Hakuba Slab Origin Water"
The company OrBS, which specializes in water science, found its way to the Ōide district of Hakuba Village, a treasure trove of famous waters. In this region, nestled in the 3,000-meter-class Hakuba mountain range, moist air is drawn to the western peaks of Hakuba by the Foehn phenomenon, forming fine clouds that bring forth blessed rain.
This rain slowly permeates the hard bedrock, rich in silica, and over a long period, is polished and transformed into exquisite groundwater.
The accumulated groundwater eventually overflows as spring water, rises again as clouds, and pours down onto the land of Hakuba—a "divine grand circulatory system" truly exists here. A sake brewed with this miraculous water is now about to be born.
Please look forward to this supreme drop born from the great nature of neighboring Hakuba.
using seasonal fruit
Liqueur
