Sasaiwai Shuzo (笹祝酒造)
Sasaiwai Shuzo is a brewery in Nishikanbara ward of Niigata City, founded in 1899. It makes sake including the Chikurin Sofu brand and offers brewery tours on weekends and public holidays.
- Makes
- Sake
Where to buy
What kind of brewery is it?
Sasaiwai Shuzo began in 1899, when the founder opened the Sasaguchi brewhouse in Matsunoo. A carpenter who had also learned sake brewing, he started the business, and the second head, an adopted son, also ran miso, soy sauce, pickle and timber businesses. The company was established as a corporation in 1960. The fifth head served two terms as mayor of Maki town before returning to the brewery as president in 2004. Most of the brewing buildings are original wooden structures, more than 100 years old, still in use.
What makes it distinct
- Ingredients
- The brewery uses several sake rice varieties and Koshihikari, and since the 2019 brewing season all of its rice has come from Niigata City.
- Style
- The brewery puts effort into traditional kimoto brewing, a method used before the Meiji period. Its flagship is a series of unfiltered, aged junmai sake.
- Also
- The brewery uses three-stage brewing, adding the ingredients in three portions to help the yeast grow healthily.
Visiting
- Tours
- Shop
- Tasting & food
Brewery tours run on weekends and public holidays and are booked through the reservation site; weekday tours are arranged by phone. The adult fee is 2200 yen including tax, and visitors aged 20 and over receive six tastings or a 1000 yen voucher. The sales shop and sake tasting are also open on weekends and public holidays.
Compiled with AI from public pages, mainly the brewery’s own site (not yet checked by the brewery)Sources: sasaiwai.com