We're not going to talk to you today about a brewery that's over a hundred years old, quite the contrary... We are delighted to introduce you to the emergence of a new sake brewery in France, a French sakagura beautifully named Azerou !


We tasted Johan and Maeva's first vintages at the Sake Show in early October. We've had no hesitation in offering you the Azerou Sokujo and Azerou Kimoto sakes. We urge you to follow their adventures today, because not only is the quality there, but it promises great things for years to come !

THE BIRTH OF A FRENCH BREWERY

Since August 2022, Johan and Maeva's brewery has been based near Perpignan in the Pyrénées-Orientales. But the story of this couple of biologists from Montpellier, who are passionate about everything to do with gastronomy and fermentation, really began around ten years ago. Johan has a doctorate in microbial evolution and ecology and is pursuing his research in the world of baker's yeast, while Maeva is about to become a biotechnology engineer, specialising in the production of biofuels and molecules of interest from microalgae.

It was an online order that gave them their first opportunity to discover Japanese sake. That day, tasting a Tatenokawa still sounds like love at first sight !


Johan, who has also been brewing beer for a number of years at the Brasserie Associative de Figuerolles, was particularly intrigued by the finesse and complexity of the fermentation processes involved in producing sake. After reading up on the subject, he decided to make his very first brew at home. And why make simple things when you can make complicated things ? So he went straight to Kimoto ! Three different families of micro-organisms (Koji, lactic bacteria and yeast) in the same fermentation vat - it's heaven for him !


Weeks went by, until the day a wine merchant in Montpellier organised a sake tasting with a Japanese producer and an importer (that was us, and it was at the "Aux Grand Vins de France" shop ?). In the course of the discussions, Johan mentioned this little home-made cuvée, without imagining for a second that they would insist on tasting it, or that they would compliment him on its qualities for a very first try. It was this encouragement that sparked the idea of one day creating a French sakagura. In early 2017, at the end of a post-doctorate contract, Johan decided to embark on this adventure and proposed that Maeva, who had just finished her studies, join him in the project.

And so began a marathon that would last 6 years. From 2017 until their creation in August 2022, they would accumulate knowledge from the internet, books and scientific literature and, of course, one experimental brew after another: around twenty in very small volumes (15 to 20 bottles each time). First at home, then in their garage, they learn and repeat the gestures and practices of traditional Japanese methods. They will vary different parameters during the production process to understand how they affect the final taste, then repeat the process until they achieve a good level of reproducibility.


And that's without counting all the R&D involved in the production equipment, because their finances won't allow them to import it directly from Japan, so they'll have to adapt... Among other things, by diverting beer brewing equipment.

100% FRENCH INGREDIENTS

This is also the time they will need to choose their future raw materials. Johan and Maeva want to make local Junmai sakés, using rice from the Camargue and spring water from the Pyrenees. They contacted the Camargue rice mills and the French rice centre to find out which Camargue varieties would make good sake and stand up to extensive polishing. But they soon realised that it was impossible to polish rice in France. So they finally decided to use a Camargue variety, Brio, which would be left only milled (90% of the grain remaining after polishing).


To rediscover the delicately fruity and floral aromas that they so enjoyed in their sake, despite the low polishing rate of their rice, they chose to apply to their brews the fermentation dynamics normally typical of Ginjo or Daiginjo sake. This means long fermentations at low temperatures (over a month and a half at around 8~10°C). This is an atypical choice, since in Japan, rice with very little polish is generally associated with shorter fermentations at high temperatures (less than a month, around 15~17°C). This choice enables them to produce sakes with their own identity, combining the roundness and cereal-like, woody notes provided by their 90% polished rice with the fruity and floral accents from the cold fermentations.


We are delighted to be able to share with you the discovery of two sakes from their first vintages : Azerou Sokujo and Azerou Kimoto. They deserve our encouragement and we sincerely hope that many of you will discover these products and support them in their work.

THE SAKES OF AZEROU


Azerou Kimoto : made using an ancestral method, this sake develops beautiful aromas of melon and pear mixed with the delicate milky notes typical of Kimotos. It goes wonderfully well with a platter of shellfish or white fish.

Azerou Sokujo : produced using a contemporary production method, this is an extremely clear wine. Its notes of white fruit and spices, with a slightly bitter finish, are the perfect accompaniment to a platter of cheeses (especially goat's cheeses) and Iberian cold meats. Ideal served chilled.

Sokujo and Kimoto : two methods of making sake, between modernity and tradition

At the heart of the problem lies lactic acid, the production or addition of which acidifies the environment, preventing bacterial contamination and thus any organoleptic deterioration. Lactic acid will protect the yeasts during fermentation and therefore encourage it. In one case it is produced naturally, in the other it is added by the brewer.

The Kimoto method, which dates back some 300 years, involves mashing steamed rice into a paste at the start of fermentation. This process, renowned for its complexity, encourages the growth of lactic acid bacteria and the secretion of lactic acid. This gives the sake its unique, complex character. Kimoto takes longer to prepare, about a fortnight longer than more modern methods.

The Sokujo method dates back around a century. It follows the discovery of the protective effects of lactic acid and its availability on the market. It is now widely adopted in sake production and is characterised by the early addition of lactic acid by the brewer to protect the yeast. Also known as the 'rapid fermentation method', Sokujo uses a pure yeast culture, promoting faster fermentation than traditional methods. This new approach produces a sake with a pure, clear taste, eliminating the complexity and sometimes more rustic character of wild bacteria.

The choice between Kimoto and Sokujo depends on the brewer's preferences and the desired result. Sokujo is often considered a more modern, cleaner method, while Kimoto is more traditional, complex and robust.