Cover The Sake making process at Shichiken brewery (Photo: Shichiken)
The Sake making process at Shichiken brewery (Photo: Shichiken)
1 / 1
Sake was believed to be a gift from the deities when rice offerings, made at revered Shinto shrines thousands of years ago, were fermented and turned into this clean, yet complex alcoholic beverage.
Rice was expensive back then. So, Sake was something only affordable by the wealthy. November 23rd of every year is the day on which everyone can drink as much Sake as they like, to celebrate the first rice harvest on Gokoku Houjou day.
Shichiken executive, Tsushima Kitahara, told Tatler that it is a day on which everyone has fun, drinks, and dances, and was the origin of Japanese traditional dances we know today as Kabuki and Mai.
Kitahara is the 13th generation of the 274-year-old Sake brewing dynasty. He told Tatler that, while the process of making the national alcoholic drink has evolved significantly over time, one element has remained constant: Shichiken’s use of mineral water from Hakushu town in Yamanashi prefecture.
Above Shichiken brewery (Photo: Shichiken)
Shichiken brewery (Photo: Shichiken)
1 / 1
Hakushu water
“The most important part is the water,” Kitahara reiterated. While soil in the hometown of Shichiken cannot produce good rice for making Sake, Hakushu water is what sets their quality apart from others in the market.
Hakushu is a town surrounded by mountains, including Mt. Fuji, the Southern Alps, and the Yatsugatake Volcanic Group. The town has no connection to the sea, but these landscapes make its water precious.
Above Hakushu water (Photo: Shichiken)
Hakushu water (Photo: Shichiken)
1 / 1
Sparkling joy
After a hundred years of making traditional Sake, Shichiken spent 5 years on research and development and launched their first sparkling product, Yamano Kasumi, in 2015. Hoshino Kagayaki was launched the following year, and Morino Kanade in 2017.
The way Morino Kanade is made is what makes their sparkling Sake of premium quality. They use a second fermentation, a method similar to that used for making champagne. This approach is, however, more time-consuming and requires a more sophisticated process.
Above (Photo: Shichiken)
(Photo: Shichiken)
1 / 1
The favorites
No one in fine dining circles would fail to recognise the name Alain Ducasse. So, when Shichiken developed their sparkling Sake in France, following a recommendation from Gerard Margeon, Chef Sommelier for Ducasse Paris, the final product was exceptionally pleasing.
Shichiken quoted Chef Ducasse as saying that he recommended this ‘Alain Ducasse’ sparkling sake “for its mineral balance and its refreshing power, which can brighten up a table, from aperitif to dessert.”
In Thailand, Yama no Kasumi is also a crowd pleaser. The cloudy Sake has a sweet aftertaste and a slightly lower alcohol percentage than others.
Kitahara said that Sake consumption in Japan has been declining over the past 50 years, despite its increasing popularity and fame in the international market. Therefore, his goal is to encourage people who have never tried Sake to sample his product. The challenge, as he sees it, is in making Sake compatible with all kinds of cuisine.
