If you love sake, you owe it to yourself to try some made in Tohoku. Good sake is all about the rice and water, and the water in Tohoku allows for high quality rice to grow.
The way breweries polish the rice during the sake making process is crucial, too - and every brewery has their own method, much like a secret recipe.
So being kiasu Singaporeans, of course we’re gunning for the best. And Asabiraki Sake Brewery was our choice because it has won the Gold Medal 21 times from the Annual Japan Sake Awards since 1991!
In winter, you’ll be able to see the workers in action during the brewery’s sake making process - rooms that range from large to small display different stages of the process. But if you visit during other seasons, you can still take a tour around the factory and check out the rooms sans the workers, before going for the free sake tasting.
Fun fact: Unlike wine, sake is best when it’s fresh. Old sake will just taste sour.
Asabiraki Sake Brewery
Price: Free (tour and tasting). Big groups have to make reservations.
Address: 10-34 Daijiji-Cho Morioka-shi, Iwate Prefecture
Opening Hours: 9AM - 4PM
How to get there:
From JR Morioka Station, take the Iwate Public Bus and alight at Matsuo bus stop. It is a 3 minute walk to Asabiraki Sake Brewery.
Article by TheSmartLocal.com
