Suwamikotsuru Sake Brewery

Brewery Bio

The Suwa district in Nagano Prefecture, located 700 meters above sea level and known as a town of Japanese mythology, is home to nine sake manufacturers. Born in such sake land, Mikotsuru is one of the most sensational brands today. Given that most of the breweries in Suwa are over a century old, imagine the astonishment, both inside and outside the industry, when a group of twenty-something-year-olds with almost no prior experience in sake-making won the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Champion Sake 2021 title only two years after launching their brewery.

Shigehiko Takeuchi’s sake-making is simple, but actively incorporates scientific approaches and cutting-edge technology. Except for the rice used in junmai ginjo, other variables are the same, such as the rice polishing ratio, yeast, and brewing water sourced from Wada Ridge where obsidian is mined. Takeuchi conveys the character of each sake derived from rice variety in a straightforward manner.