Earlier this month 23 ALTs from around the prefecture visited the Takahashi Shouten Sake Brewery in Yame. Let’s hear about their experience!
The Trek to Yame
The crew gathered at Hakata Station at the crack of dawn (or 9:50 am, same thing on a Saturday), ready and eager to enjoy an action-packed day of delicious food and day-drinking. We were greeted by members of the Fukuoka Regional Taxation Bureau, who directed us to the bus.
The educational side of the tour began as soon as we sat down, with an informational video about the process of sake-production. The hour-long trip from Hakata to Yame flew by, with ALTs catching up with old friends and making new ones.
Takahashi Shoten
Once we got to the brewery, we were greeted warmly by the staff and members of the local press who were there to document the day.
After the initial formalities and greetings from the head of the brewery, the ALTs sat and enjoyed an anime called “Kanpai”, which truly had it all - intergalactic travel, a love story which pulled at our heart-strings, and a wealth of information about how rice becomes sake.
The Process
From there, the group split in twain and, donning protective clothing and hairnets, embarked on the tour of the brewery itself. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable about the sake brewing experience, and kindly took the time to explain the different machinery and mechanisms used in the factory.
The process goes something like this:
1. Rice polishing
The rice is polished to ensure that all husks and tough particles are removed.
The length of time the rice is polished will define the category of sake, so attention to detail begins at the very first step.
2. Washing
The rice is thoroughly cleaned with water to remove any impurities.
The washing is an important step, as it helps remove any dust created during the polishing process.
3. Soaking
After being washed, the rice is soaked in water. This process ensures that each grain of rice has have roughly the same level of humidity, which is essential for the next step.
4. Steaming
Next the rice is steamed.
The steaming process softens the hard outer part of the rice grain, exposing the inner core which contains the starch, and making it available for the kouji used in the next step.
5. Kouji
Kouji is the name of a special mold used in the production of sake. The kouji mold works by breaking down the starch in the rice into simple sugars, which will provide food for the yeast used in the following step.
The rice and kouji mold mix is simply called kouji.
6. Yeast
A yeast starter, or shubo (酒母 , literally "mother of sake"), is then added to the kouji. This process is similar to how sourdough bread is made from a sourdough yeast starter.
Now that the kouji mold has broken down the starch into glucose, it's the yeast's turn to convert that glucose into ethanol.
7. Fermentation
Once the yeast has been added, the mixture, now referred to as moromi (fermentation mash), is then allowed to ferment. The length of the fermentation varies depending on the desired strength and flavor of the end product. At this stage, the sake begins to take on its signature fruity aroma.
This process (i.e kouji converting starch to glucose and yeast converting glucose to ethanol) is known as 並行複発酵, or "multiple parallel fermentation", in Japanese.
8. Pressing & Filtering
After fermentation, the sake is gently pressed to separate the rice/kouji from the now-alcoholic liquid. In the past this was done with a mechanical press, but nowadays more modern machinery is used.
The liquid is then filtered to remove any fine sediments and to clarify the color of the sake. Some varieties of sake, especially にごり酒 (nigorishu, or "cloudy sake") and 甘酒 (amazake) forego the filtration step, and so the final product has a cloudy color.
9. Pasteurization
The sake is pasteurized to kill off any remaining yeast in the sake in order to prevent further fermentation and to inhibit the growth of harmful micro-organisms during the maturation process.
10. Maturation
The pasteurized sake is given time to age. The aging process greatly affects the flavor and texture of the final project, as it allows the flavor and aromas in the sake to mellow and become more complex. Some varieties of sake can be aged for over a year!
11. Repasteurization
Once the sake has been allowed to age, it is pasteurized again to ensure a pure final product. When this stage is complete, the sake is finally ready to consume.
12. Bottling
The sake is bottled and ready to drink.
Speaking of which...
Sake Sampling
Following the tour and now armed with a deep understanding of sake, the ALTs were ready to get blasted. We returned to the hall where the introductions were carried out to find four stations set up, each hosting one of the many varieties of sake produced at the brewery. Wide-eyed and thirsty, the ALTs descended upon the tables and quickly made short work of the samples available. The aged (熟成) sake was a clear favorite (some ALTs had to try three or four times to REEAAALLY make sure), with the junmai-daiginjo (cloudy sake) also proving to be top contender.
Sake Pairing Presentation
Just when the ALTs had started to turn rosy-cheeked and misty-eyed, it was time for the Sake Pairing portion of the tour. Turning around from the sample tables, the ALTs were greeted to the sight of large bento boxes, each delicately placed beside a collection of glasses. The bento boxes, kindly provided by a local specialty bento shop, were filled with delicious varieties of fish, meats, cheeses, fruits and tsukemono (Japanese pickles), each expertly chosen to further enhance the sake’s flavor and palatability.
The Sake Pairing presentation was delivered by Mrs. Matsumoto Kugako, an expert in sake and shochu under the Japan Sommelier Association. Mrs. Matsumoto guided us through the 7 (yes, seven) varieties of sake that accompanied our meal, and gave us recommendations for each food. When it came to voting for their favorites, the ALTs overwhelmingly chose the umeshu (plum wine) and junmai-daiginjo (cloudy sake), but to be honest everything was absolutely phenomenal.
A Sad Farewell
Once we had finished our luxurious meal (and had our glasses refilled a shameful amount of times), our tour of the Takahashi Shouten Sake Brewery drew to a close. After a closing statement and all the thank yous, the ALTs, bellies full and whistles well and truly wet, headed back to the bus, but not before each receiving a bottle of Shigemasu sake and a masu (traditional box used for drinking sake) to take home with them.
All in all the day was an amazing experience, and the ALTs left well-versed about the intricacies and struggles of making sake.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the workers of Takahashi Shouten, as well as the Fukuoka Regional Taxation Bureau who organized the event.