Shochu from Hokkaido

How do water and climate shape Hokkaido sake?

Winters in Hokkaido are harsh, and the cold suits slow, low-temperature fermentation. In Asahikawa the breweries use underground water from the Daisetsuzan range. The climate long made it hard to grow sake rice, and many breweries brought rice from Honshu.

What is Hokkaido's sake rice like?

Hokkaido began developing sake rice in the late 1990s, and three varieties are now the main ones: Ginpu, Suisei and Kitashizuku. The brewers' association points to large grains, a large starch core and low protein. Low protein helps make a sake with fewer rough flavours. More breweries use rice and water from Hokkaido, and breweries outside the island use the rice too.

What does Hokkaido sake taste like?

Sake made with Hokkaido rice is often described as smooth and clean with little roughness. The varieties differ: Ginpu is said to give a fuller taste, Suisei a delicate one and Kitashizuku a soft taste between the two. Each brewery has its own style, so not every bottle tastes the same.

A short history of Hokkaido sake

Small-scale brewing is said to have existed in the Edo period in places such as Esashi, Matsumae and Hakodate. Full-scale brewing is described as starting in 1872, when Shibata Yojiemon, who came from Noto, opened a brewery along the Soseigawa river in Sapporo. Breweries grew in number in the Meiji era, but for a long time the rice had to come from Honshu.

Where are the breweries?

The brewers' association lists 18 breweries. They are spread across the island, including Sapporo, Otaru, Hakodate, Asahikawa, Mashike, Kutchan, Obihiro and Kushiro. Hokkaido is large, so climate and water differ a lot from brewery to brewery.

Visiting and what to eat with it

The Otokoyama Sake Museum in Asahikawa is free to enter and shows the history of brewing and Edo-period materials. Many breweries need a reservation for tours, so check their official sites. Many people enjoy Hokkaido sake with the island's seafood and with hot pots in the cold season, since a clean sake lets the ingredients speak.