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「SAKE2020プロジェクト」の活動の一つ、酒蔵の方をお呼びしてそのお蔵のお酒を片手に英語で日本酒を語り合う「sake salon」の第21回目を2018年11月29日、虎ノ門の「日本の酒情報館」にて開催しました。今回のゲスト蔵は、石川県金沢の福光屋さんです。

Fukumitsuya founded in 1625 is the oldest brewery in Kanazawa city, located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in Ishikawa prefecture.
Fukumitsuya is a “traditional sake brewery,” meaning that all of its sake is made by hand using sake making skills and methods that have been passed down from generation to generation.
At the same time, the brewery is dedicated to continuous innovation to create the highest quality sake from nature for its customers. Since 1960, the brewery has been closely cooperating with their sake rice farmers to produce the best premium sake rice for their sake.

The mineral water to brew their delicious sake comes from “Hyakunensui,” which is water that has come from rain and snow at Mt. Hakusan and over hundreds of years has slowly filtered through the ground becoming rich in minerals that aid in the fermentation process and are essential for producing great tasting sake.

In 2001, Fukumitsuya became the first major brewer to produce only “Junmai sake,” which is sake made solely from natural ingredients consisting of the finest quality sake rice and mineral water. Fukumitsuya is also famous for being one of the leading breweries to also make mature, aged sake.

On 24th Oct., the 20th sake salon of the sake2020 project was held with Shinichiro Shimizu, the president of the brewery in Mie prefecture.

“Zaku” is undeniably one of the most popular and well-known brands of sake available in the market today. “Shimizuseizaburo-Shoten,” the brewery which makes “Zaku” is located in Mie prefecture in Suzuka city, which is also famous as a location of the “Suzuka Circuit,” a Formula One racetrack. Blowing down from the mountains, the cold, winter wind called “Suzuka Oroshi” helps give “Zaku” its clear, crisp taste.

Very sophisticated, fruity aroma and the delicate, clear taste of “Zaku” has been popular with sake fans for a long time, but its popularity surged after it was chosen as the Kampai sake of the 2016 G7 Summit held at a beautiful coastal resort in Mie prefecture.

Mie prefecture is typically less well known outside of Japan but it is the home of Ise Shrine, a very sacred shrine of great cultural and historical significance to the Japanese people. Since Edo times, people have made a pilgrimage to Ise Shrine and for many people it is the dream of a life time to visit there. The constant flow of visitors to Ise Shrine has led to the development of a rich food culture which includes delicious Matsuzaka Beef and Matoya Oysters. With great food you can often find great sake and Mie is no exception.

On 1st September, The sake 2020 project held the sake event named ‘Sake Historia’ #3 with the aim to learn about modern history of sake, because the foundation of sake of today has been established at that time.

We focused Mr. Senzaburo Miura（1847〜1908）, the great man of the Meiji era and Hiroshima’s sake.

Mr. Miura wad born in a big general store, but he started his own business of brewing sake in 1876. After 4 years of big failure, he found that the water of Hiroshima does not fit with the way of sake brewing of the day.null