Sake (pronounced “sah-kay”) is brewed from rice, but it is not a beer, wine, or spirit – it is truly unique.  First, the rice grain is polished to remove impurities that reside in the outer layers.  Then this highly polished rice is washed and steamed with the purest soft water.  Next, koji is added along with yeast to begin fermentation.  The koji is an enzyme that converts the rice starch into sugar, which can then be converted into alcohol by the yeast.  After a few weeks the mixture is pressed, and the resulting sake is typically filtered, pasteurized, and bottled. Over the course of its history that dates back two millennia, one simple fact was determined: purity is the foundation of the best sake.  As there are only a few elements used to brew sake, their quality is of the utmost importance.

the water
If sake were to have a terroir as with wine, it would come from the source of the water.  Unlike wine, which is made from juice, 80% of sake’s volume comes from water – making the quality critical.

Akita Shurui Seizoh Co. is located in Akita, Japan which is known for its mountainous terrain that produces high quality, soft riverbed water at its purest state.  Soft water is vital because it leads to slower fermentation, which produces sake with a soft, lush texture.  The winters are so extreme and severe in Akita that melting snow runs down the rivers into the Japan Sea.  The brewery is located where three rivers meet, a place known as being the source of the purest water since the time of the Samurai.  It is this cherished water that the toji uses to brew the shimizu-no-mai sake.

the rice
Over two hundred kinds of rice exist, but only 28 are certified in Japan as being best suited for brewing sake.  Akita Shurui Seizoh Co. uses locally grown rice in the production of its products.  As an example of their dedication to their craft, the brew-masters are also trained specialists in growing the local, certified rice.

As important as the type of rice, however, is the “rice polishing ratio.”  The outer layers of the rice grain contain unwanted fat and proteins, and are thereby polished off to reveal the pure starch core.  The shimizu-no-mai sakes are all polished to 55% or less of their original size, leaving only the best part of the grain.  Akita Shurui Seizoh Co. is one of the only breweries in Akita with its own rice-polishing facilities, a luxury that allows the brew-masters to guarantee that the local rice is milled to their exacting standards.

 

the toji
A toji is a sake brew-master, an artist who has the ultimate passion for his craft.  Long ago, the culture of the toji was secretive and mystical.  Even today the toji have a strong sense of oneness between mankind and the Earth, which is why they believe they can only brew pure sake by showing appreciate to Mother Nature. 

It is with this belief that the Akita Shurui Seizoh Co. toji have always given thanks three times a day: at Dawn when their work begins, at Dusk when their work comes to a close, and at Night when they give thanks for the day that has passed and pray for the day to come.  The toji that produces shimizu-no-mai is Noboru Minagawa, who brings generations of experience to each bottle of shimizu-no-mai.  In naming pure dawn, pure dusk, and pure night he has graced these sakes, the pinnacle of his art, with the highest show of thanks.