Junmaiginjo Kissuihidariuma
Bringing local pride to the world. Envisioning the future 100 years from now.
In only his second year of brewing, the 'Junmai Daiginjo Kissuihidariuma' from Ariga Brewery won a Gold Prize at the Fukushima Prefecture Sake Appraisal. It was a spectacular achievement for the brewery's toji (head brewer) and managing director, Yujiro Ariga. The sake's fruity, rice-driven umami was what brought home the good news.
Ariga Brewery holds a unique distinction: it is the only sake brewery in Japan that also brews makgeolli. Their 'Tora Makkori' was the brainchild of the toji's father, the 10th-generation head, Yoshihiro Ariga. "We use our sake brewing methods to make it, so it's not identical to traditional Korean makgeolli," President Ariga explains. "I tried a 'raw' makgeolli at a Korean restaurant in Ueno and realized how similar it was to our moromi (fermenting mash). After a lot of refinement, we turned it into a product." It has since become a massive hit at yakiniku restaurants in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Growing up watching his father's passionate, research-driven spirit, the younger toji launched a new brand of his own in the spring of 2013: 'Jinya.' This sake is a true expression of its home, brewed with Fukushima's 'Yumenokaori' sake rice, grown near Shirakawa, and the pure subsoil water of the Abukuma River.
"I still have so many other sakes I want to create," he says with a refreshing smile. Today, the brewery is moving forward with a new, powerful theme: What is necessary right now to create a sake from this land that will soar to the world, 100 years in the future? It's a vision that makes their future incredibly exciting to watch.
Ariga Brewery
This year, they're celebrating their 100th anniversary of incorporation AND 250th anniversary of founding! Today, I'm introducing the sake brewing of <Ariga Brewery>! 🍶
This time, I got to hear the secret story of Tora Makkori from the 10th-generation head, Mr. Yoshihiro Ariga!
🏘️: Ariga Brewery @arigajozo 📍: 96 Honmachi, Higashikaburako, Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture
Ariga Brewery is the only sake brewery in Japan that also brews makgeolli, and their Tora Makkori is super popular at famous yakiniku restaurants in Tokyo! 🇰🇷✨
The president himself went to Korea to study, invited technicians over from Korea, and even worked with the Tokyo University of Agriculture on prototypes, but they just couldn't get a flavor they were happy with. Wondering if they could adapt it to Japanese tastes, they stuck to their sake-brewing methods and were uncompromising (like using only rice!). He kept developing... and can you believe it? It took 15 years of trial and error! 😳
Carefully made with absolutely no additives, unpasteurized, and "nama-shibori" (freshly pressed), Tora Makkori has been on sale for 15 years now! 🌟
Its dry flavor is a purrfect match for yakiniku and just right for enjoying in the summer! ◎ You can buy it from Ariga Brewery's website, but they gave me a little warning: "Be careful when you open it, it's wild!" 😆
You've just got to try this special flavor, meow! 🎶
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