Amabuki Brewery
“Sake That Creates Opportunities” Produced by a 300-Year-Old Brewery
The Amabuki Brewery in Saga Prefecture was founded in 1688. The brewery's buildings were built in the Meiji and Taisho periods. The Japanese government designated some of them as Registered Tangible Cultural Properties in 2013. These buildings are still used today for sake production.
Inside Amabuki Brewery is used for events and receptions
We Want Everybody to Enjoy Sake
"I was inspired to drink sake after encountering the flower yeast sake brewed by Amabuki!" Nowadays, the brewery receives such feedback that more than half of the visitors are women when they hold tasting events. The younger generation accounts for nearly 70% of the visitors to Amabuki Brewery.
President Sotaro Kinoshita, Amabuki Brewery
When President Kinoshita returned to the brewery in 1988, the brand was almost unknown outside Kyushu, with distribution only within the prefecture. In those days, sake was the drink of older men, and young people and women did not drink much. Because of this situation, he wanted to create a new and attractive sake that his friends and women around him would enjoy and want to drink.
He created a sake with a clean aftertaste and other easily recognizable taste notes that would serve as a "gateway to sake" so that even people who did not drink sake or were not fond of sake could enjoy it.
Ideal Sake Brewed with Yeast from Flowers
In 2000, Mr. Kinoshita received a message from Professor Nakata of the Department of Brewing at Tokyo University of Agriculture, his old school. The professor's laboratory had successfully extracted yeast from natural flowers and was test-brewing sake using it. He visited the laboratory and tasted it. He immediately noticed it was close to the ideal sake he had envisioned. Inspired, President Kinoshita started brewing sake with floral yeasts.
The floral yeasts used at Amabuki brewery range from fruit-derived to flower-derived. Each type of them has its own unique aroma and acidity.
For example, the oshiroibana (four o'clock flower) yeast has a gorgeous ginjo aroma suitable for junmai-ginjo sake with gentle rice sweetness. The strawberry flower yeast produces sake with a fresh fragrance reminiscent of strawberries and a pleasant acidity.
Shinji Kusaka, Toji (Chief Brewer) at Amabuki Brewery
Three years ago, Mr. Shinji Kusaka, who has 30 years of experience as a toji (master brewer), joined the brewing team at Amabuki Sake Brewery. The quality of the sake has been improving. Enjoy Fragrant & Floral while relaxing on a holiday while watching sports, as it can be enjoyed not only during meals but also on its own.
From the Head Brewer
"Because of its gorgeous aroma, gentle sweetness, and acidity, it goes well with dishes with sweet and savory flavors. We recommend sashimi with sashimi soy sauce (tamari soy sauce or Kyushu's sweet soy sauce) or yakitori with tare. Incidentally, it also goes well with mac & cheese and white stew!
Amabuki Sake Brewery will continue evolving so that more people worldwide can appreciate sake more than ever!"