Ichinoya's Sake Brewing
Promise
Sensibility, water, rice, human touch.
And then, sensibility again.
It all begins with Ichinoya's vision.
Then, pure water nurtured by beautiful soil,
and carefully selected rice arrives from rice-growing regions each year.
After the "ingredients" for sake gather at our brewery,
human hands and sensibility come alive.
Rice polishing, washing, steaming, koji making, yeast starter preparation.
Moromi, brewing, pressing, pasteurization, storage—.
The brewers' skill is alive in every step,
and the master brewer's sensibility creates one-of-a-kind sake.
Sake brewing through water, rice, and human hands.
Respect for the wisdom of our predecessors,
and trust in the sensibility of the master brewer and brewers living today.
That is Ichinoya's sake brewing.
Water
Though it appears to be the same clear water,
the water flowing here possesses a variety of hues.
Eight water sources, including the Itani, Yazawa, and Kamishirasawa sources.
First-class rivers like the Chikuma, Tenryu, Sai, and Kiso, which bring abundance to human settlements.
Lakes affectionately known as the "Nishina Three Lakes."
After countless years, tracing various mountain faces, the water emerges
soft, hard, robust, sweet—
expressing a range of flavors.
What a luxury it is to be able to choose water.
To choose implies intent.
This pure water embodies Ichinoya's intent.
U.S.
Wherever clear water flows, delicious rice is found.
From north to south, "rice regions" are found in "water regions."
In Nagano, where Omachi City is located,
beautiful water flows from the Northern Alps,
descending to the foothills to form an alluvial fan,
creating fertile soil where flowers bloom and insects play.
There are also several rice varieties suitable for sake, including "Yamada Nishiki," "Hitogokochi," "Miyama Nishiki,"
"Sankei Nishiki," and "Kaze Sayaka."
Even looking at Japan from above, from north to south,
there are rice farmers who continue their quest for delicious rice.
We believe that if the concept of the sake you envision comes first,
there is more than one solution for the rice.
We want to select the rice harvested each year by evaluating it with our eyes, nose, mouth, and hands,
while also envisioning its harmony with the water.
Only then can we approach the masterpiece we envision.
Yeast
Sake is born when koji mold creates sugar from rice, and yeast converts that sugar into alcohol.
Furthermore, the aromas and refreshing acidity produced during the fermentation stage are also due to the action of yeast.
In other words, yeast creates differences in the deliciousness of sake.
It is precisely because Ichinoya's essence is revealed that we are committed to handmade methods.
We make shubo (sake starter) from steamed rice, koji, and water,
and then cultivate yeast from the lactic acid bacteria that arise from it.
Water and rice. And a tribute to the power of nature and the wisdom of our predecessors.