Aizu Shuzo

Aizu Shuzo was founded in 1688 (Genroku 1). The 9th generation head, Keita Watanabe, is also known as the young Toji who created the new, nationally acclaimed brand "Yama no I." For Mr. Watanabe, who grew up with the brewery as his playground, it was only natural that he would one day become its successor.

"I had a vague idea that I would study business at university and then take over the family business," he says. "But right before my entrance exams, it hit me: 'I can learn business from my father, but the brewing itself will be left to the Toji. If we don't create a sake unique to the next generation, we won't be able to grow...'"

Yama no I: A Sake of Challenge

Around that time, his father (the brewery president) took him to visit breweries all over the country. Witnessing modern, state-of-the-art sake brewing ignited a fire in the young owner's heart. After being put in charge of the brewery, he revamped everything from the cleaning methods to the brewing process. Unifying the brewery's numerous brands into a "standard" line and creating the new "Yama no I" brand were part of this effort.

"Aizu Shuzo" is a "local production for local consumption" sake that uses "Yumenokaori," a sake rice from Minami-Aizu. It's a sake that uses local ingredients and can be enjoyed with peace of mind by longtime fans. On the other hand, "Yama no I" is a sake of challenge. I first have an image of the sake I want to make, and to express that flavor, I might use rice from outside the prefecture or change the rice polishing ratio. By creating something different from the traditional "Aizu Shuzo," we are winning over new fans.