Sake and Shochu Gumi
Brewery + Distillery Visit

Ikehara Shuzo (Ishigaki)

When we pulled up to Ikehara Shuzo this past February, I would have never guessed that the building housed an awamori distillery. Situated in a residential neighborhood with no interior space to waste, the pint-sized distillery and tasting room is extremely organized, well-planned,...

The Chronicles of Nara

Yucho Shuzo (Nara)

Visiting President Chobei Yamamoto at Yucho Shuzo in Gose City was one of the most educational brewery visits I’ve ever experienced. He invited me into his meeting room, where he had piles of very old books on Nara’s...

Brewery + Distillery Visit

Matsuse Brewery in Shiga

Walking into a sake brewery is like walking into someone's home. In the old days, it was customary that the kurabito (brewery workers) all stayed in shared housing at the brewery during the brewing season – people traveled from far and wide from their hometowns...

Brewery + Distillery Visit

A Visit to Mutemuka Shuzo

My first brewery visit in Kochi this past month was at Mutemuka Shuzo. The next morning I went to Kameizumi Shuzo. I first learned about Mutemuka in 2018 through Floating World. I fell in love with the their Mutemuka Muroka Nama Genshu. It was lactic, mushroomy,...

Brewery + Distillery Visit

A Visit to Kameizumi Shuzo

Kameizumi Shuzo was my second brewery visit during my Kochi Prefecture tour this past month. The day before, I had visited Mutemuko Shuzo in Shimanto City. After Mutemuka Shuzo, we made our way to Kochi City (about 90 minutes away) and had a very authentic Kochi night...

Brewery + Distillery Visit

Inaba Shuzo

Me and Mr. Inaba outside of Inaba Shuzo that he runs with Toji Nobuko Inaba (his wife). After visiting Toshimaya Shuzo, the second brewery I went to during my trip to Japan was Inaba Shuzo. It is accessible by the...