We wanted to talk to you about the Hatsumomidi brewery. Firstly, and this goes without saying, because their sakes are excellent and new to us, but also because its history is fairly representative of what has happened in many sakaguras. In serious decline in the 70s, this small brewery in Yamaguchi prefecture has been able to recover since 2003 thanks to the hard work of Yasuhiro Harada, the 12th generation of owners.

Yuzu, a citrus native to China, was reportedly introduced to Japan in the Nara era. Adopted for its medicinal properties and its high content of vitamin C, A, B, potassium and magnesium, its intense aromas mix lemon, grapefruit and tangerine, with floral and spicy nuances. In France, Yuzu is a great success, present in high-end Japanese restaurants, gastronomy, pastry and confectionery. Moroyama’s "Katsuragi Yuzu", Saitama, is the oldest variety grown in Japan, thanks to Ichitaro Kushida. His...

Nihonshudo is a parameter to be aware of when tasting sake. A value that oscillates around zero and indicates whether the sake is: dry, where the value is positive and the higher it is, the drier the sake; or sweet, where the value is negative and the lower it is, the sweeter the sake.

We're delighted to announce that the Noto Samurai family has recently been extended. We're talking, of course, about sakes from the Sogen Shuzo brewery, because after Sword, Kenzan, then Princess, here comes the King, a remarkable Daïginjo! We introduced you to the brewery in a previous communication, so let's come back to it quickly and tell you about this series.

We take you to the Yoshino region of Nara to discover the Miyoshino Jozo brewery. This valley is famous for its carpet of over 30,000 cherry trees, which delight visitors every spring as they come into bloom. Today's scene is set in a slightly different atmosphere, one of forest and the symbiotic relationship between man and nature.

We have a superb novelty to present to you, a sparkling sake born from the close collaboration between the Yamanashi Meijo brewery, Alain Ducasse, and Gérard Margeon, Chef Sommelier Ducasse Paris. Meet Shichiken x Alain Ducasse Sparkling Sake !

We are going to discover awamori. This traditional Okinawan distilled beverage is still little known outside of its region of origin. It is produced from fermented rice and distilled to an alcohol content of 30 to 60%. It first appeared in the archipelago around 600 years ago, when stills from the Middle East arrived in the area.

Did you know that "Minami" means south in Japanese? It is also the name of the family that owns the brewery we are presenting today. And it's a good thing we're there, in the south, in Tosa exactly, on the island of Shikoku. This former province of the current Kochi prefecture is a fertile crescent facing the Philippine Sea.

Here is an original initiative by Japan's last independent cooper, Ariake Sangyo in Miyazaki. With the idea of giving a Japanese tone to the ageing of spirits, he decided to make barrels from local wood species, cherry and chestnut. Two of their most emblematic products: Tarukura Sakura and Tarukura Kuri.

You've probably seen and perhaps even used those little light resin-scented wood cubes known in Japan as "masu" or "sake masu". But it is not certain that you know their true history. We'll tell you about it briefly, a chance to talk about rice, sake, lords and samurai!

Yomeishu Seizo, here is a house which certainly evokes nothing for you, and yet is immensely famous in Japan. Its history goes back to the very beginning of the 17th century, in 1602 exactly, in Nagano prefecture. It is at this date that the factory commercializes for the first time a medicinal liqueur based on the use of plants, and in particular of a local shrub called "Kuromoji".

We have two beautiful new releases to present to you, two Junmai that are off the beaten track, sakes that bring together all the elements that characterise Junmai: acidity, umami, light sweetness, cereal notes... with the difference, if you want to compare it to the more aromatic sakes, that these nuances are expressed on an unwavering cleanliness, a purity without compromise. A style that we particularly appreciated in this season.

We are pleased to present you some bottles coming straight from the house of Omoya Shuzo. This family distillery is located on the small island of Iki, a 140 km² piece of land on the Genkai Sea, between Japan and Korea, which has long been one of the country's gateways to continental Asia. A hub of trade between these two regions of the world, it is believed to be the place of origin of barley-based shochu.

If your ears quiver at the mention of the word Ginjo and you only swear by the degree of polish of the rice, then you are on the right track... at least for today! We suggest you to visit the Shuho Shuzojo brewery in the heart of the Yamagata Prefecture, a region known as " The Kingdom of Ginjo " in the world of sake. Follow us, we'll tell you more about it right away...

We are continuing our quest for the appearance of sake in Japanese pop culture. After the manga part, it leads us today to the unavoidable universe of video games. Sake is indeed regularly represented and used to immerse the gamer in a traditional atmosphere, with a background of adventure and passion. Let's take a look at a few examples and don't hesitate to tell us about other appearances you have found.

The "Jeune Montagne" cheese cooperative offered us a great challenge in March: to match a series of five Aubrac cheeses with Japanese sake in the best possible way! Although it is now accepted that sake is a wonderful companion for cheese, this time we wanted to take the possibilities further by looking for the perfect match. We have imagined this around a selection of fine references.

We're off to Saga Prefecture, in southwestern Japan, a sake-producing region that is still little known in France, yet with some thirty active breweries and a distinctive style, it really deserves our attention! After a quick tour of the Prefecture, we will take the advice of four brewers we interviewed about the general profile of sake in Saga, as well as their own style, of course. 

Sake is omnipresent in Japanese culture and is regularly portrayed in popular media. Cartoons books are no exception. It is used in manga to plunge the reader into the heart of a traditional atmosphere, but also to bring a touch of humor to the story. Let's look at some examples.

Two super-fresh namazakes that transported us to the heart of the breweries at the time of their tasting. Those of you who had the chance to visit a kura certainly have this fruity and enveloping fragrance engraved forever in the depths of their piriform cortex. This delicate scent can be found with pleasure at home every time a bottle is opened, but nothing is more powerful than a namazake to trigger this reminiscence.

The Maekake is this apron, traditionally made of indigo and thick cotton, that you have undoubtedly already seen in Japan (for the lucky ones) or in an izakaya restaurant but also in a food store. This harmless accessory still carries 500 years of history. Its appearance dates back to the Muromachi period (14-16th century), when it was found in rice, soy sauce or sake shops.

If there's one thing that fascinates all of us sake lovers, it's the extraordinary ability of breweries to constantly innovate. Whether it's through the development of new techniques, the use of new machinery or, on the contrary, the implementation of inspirations from the past, renewal is a vital need for a producer, a positive impetus for sake as a whole.